Steel Wolf
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: The Arctic Wolves mercenary company accepts a contract on Korla, a desert world of feuding nation-states, but they don't know that Star Captain Abby, a disgraced Wolf Clanner, is operating behind the scenes and plans to dominate the entire planet.
1. Prologue: Lines in the Sand

**STEEL WOLF**

**A/N: **This story features a brand-new OC planet, the desert world Korla in the Lyran Alliance, a world of many feuding nation-states. Here, the Arctic Wolves mercenaries, local feuding families, and an ex-Clanner will all clash and only one faction will emerge victorious. Authors **RougeBaron **and **Xandre **have both loaned me some of their characters to help make this story possible.

The Arctic Wolves characters Nikolai Kerensky, "Fury" Lister, Lyla Lister, Thomas Jones, and Samantha Smith are property of **Xandre**.

Star Captain Abby is property of **RougeBaron**.

Everyone else is mine.

*o*o*o*o*

**Prologue: Lines in the Sand**

_**Main Street, Bhujorba City, Bhujorba Protectorate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**May 5, 3075**_

Not even an eerie, banshee-like howling wind that carried clouds of fine dust and sand particles could dampen the victorious glow of the army that marched steadily down the main street of the Bhujorba Protectorate's capital city. Towering skyscrapers and squat apartment buildings crept past as lines of armored vehicles, platoons of desert-camouflaged infantry, and lumbering Battlemechs all progressed toward the city hall. From inside the cockpit of her 55-ton _Stormcrow_, Star Captain Abby couldn't resist a gleeful but fierce smile as she looked down at the crowds of anxious citizens down below, bustling at the sidewalks. Abby could feel the steady up-down movement in her cockpit as the _Stormcrow _marched in line with the victory parade, right behind the broad back of a hulking _Zeus_. She could still remember taking on the Protectorate's meager defense force, her Nova Binary taking apart everything in its way until the President of the Protectorate had officially surrendered.

_This nation is now mine, but the real fun is just starting, _Abby reminded herself. _This is one step of many. Taking control of the Bhujorba Protectorate's production facilities and turning them to my cause will take some doing, but at least Alfonso Vargas' support staff can handle that part. Too much paperwork for my taste. _She remembered the invaluable aid that the head of the Vargas family had provided her in this victory, and she felt mingled gratitude and contempt. The Vargas family, ruler of the mighty Vargas Estate nation, certainly had the resources and manpower to conquer all of its neighboring nation-states, but they needed a powerful, cunning leader to do so. And Abby was just that fierce and hardened leader that they needed, earning her the nickname "Steel Wolf." She loved it.

"We're nearly there, Star Captain," came the voice of Marshal Ricardo, the head of the Vargas family's guard force. "The city hall is within range. Prepare to disembark and enter the building with the rest of the official party."

"Yes, I know," Abby bit back, unamused by the man's constant attempts to impress her. Still, she squinted her eyes past the increasing sandstorm and beheld the massive, silver-gray city hall looming up ahead. A blue and red flag waved on a pole on the building's domed roof, but soon enough that flag would be replaced with the green and gold of the Vargas Estate.

The minute Abby brought her _Stormcrow _to a halt with the other 'mechs in the nearby 'mech bay, she snapped he fingers at a nearby assistant. "Get me my formal uniform. Now, now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted the young man, dashing off to retrieve a set of red and black formal wear. Stripping off her cooling vest and heavy boots, Abby slowly donned her uniform, enjoying the feeling of the soft but tough cloth, the hard gold buttons, and the military cap that rested on her chestnut-colored hair. She felt properly powerful and in-command in such wear and never tired of it, although such attire would never work out in the cockpit of her 'mech. Too bad, she figured as she fastened the last button of her coat, then straightened her cap and strode off toward a waiting car, four armed guards watching over her in case of attack.

The car parked right before the front steps of the city hall, and as Abby climbed out an older man with slicked-back gray hair offered his hand to help her up. She accepted it and stood to her full height, regarding Alfonso Vargas before her. "Everything still in order, Mr. Vargas?"

"Of course," Alfonso Vargas nodded tightly, but his eyes glinted and a smug grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "No one would dare make any trouble after how thoroughly we conquered this nation. Everyone is accounted for."

"Good. Then let us get going," Abby told him, and after Alfonso motioned to his guards, the guards escorted Abby and Alfonso to another waiting party of Vargas officials. While the group ascended the steps and entered the spacious entrance hall of the capital building, Abby reminded herself how this pomp and circumstance was entirely unnecessary, but she enjoyed it anyway. Accepting the President's surrender in person and settling the details in one chat session was direct and personal, the method Abby liked best. _I want to see the look in the President's eyes!_

Despite the luxury of the capital hall, Abby paid no attention to the lavish décor as she and the others boarded and ascended an elevator to the top floor, marching down another hallway. The sandstorm was even stronger now, howling past the windows and obscuring the view of the city beyond. Most likely, the citizens had retreated indoors to wait out one of the many sandstorms that plagued Korla.

The double doors to the President's office swung inward, and Abby brought herself to the head of the party, chin held high. "It is time, President," she declared. "Show me your official surrender."

The President, a short man with wire-frame glasses, gave Abby a sour look and stood up from behind his desk, picking up an official document. He extended it, allowing Abby to accept it. "Here it is," he told her bitterly, not bothering to hide his spite.

Alfonso cleared his throat. "Abby, my lady, you must give that to me to sign. I am, after all, the official new owner of the Bhujorba Protectorate."

Abby pursed her lips slightly as Alfonso accepted the paper, placing it on the desk and signing it. Abby found Korla's legal system rather materialistic and old-fashioned, but amusing nonetheless where fancy papers and signatures had the power to affect millions of lives. But still, _she _was the driving force that was slowly changing the face or Korla. Alfonso ruled the expanding Vargas Estate, but it was she, Abby, a former Star Captain of Clan Wolf, who truly made this progress possible. If anything, this little President should be negotiating his nation's new fate to her, not Alfonso. But there was no helping it.

"I will, of course, assume control of all of your production facilities and mines at once," Alfonso told the President, puffing up his chest. His gray suit creaked slightly from his bulk. "Your business leaders will be dismissed and replaced with my own, but you can keep your staff. It would be troublesome to replace them all with my own men."

"Switch out the head, keep the body," the President grumbled. "But transporting my facilities' products to your foul Estate will take time and money. How will you manage that?"

One of the guards perked up at the jibe, but Alfonso motioned for the man to stand down. "I can manage," Alfonso told the President. "Perhaps your taxpayer funds can fund a fleet of transport trucks to carry your factories' goods to my cities. Don't you agree, Abby?"

"A fine plan," Abby nodded. "But don't push them too far, or they'll strike. Or sabotage you, even."

"My people are not so low as to sabotage or riot or anything of the sort!" the President snapped. "We know that we are defeated. If I recall, the Vargas Estate treats its other territories quite well... if they behave."

"Then that leaves it up to you and your people," Alfonso smirked. "Behave, serve me well, and you'll be rewarded! This can turn out well for everyone."

The President's glare could melt Ferro-Fibrous armor, but his voice was soft. "Perhaps."

"At any rate, my guards will maintain a patrol around this city until we can consolidate our holdings," Alfonso continued. "And your facilities will be used to repair any casualties to machinery I have suffered, President. A little hospitality on your part."

The President looked less than hospitable as he sank back into his chair, clenching the armrests hard. "You will not get away with this."

Alfonso raised his eyebrows. "And I thought you were going to behave?"

"I'm not talking about me," the President lowered his voice. "I mean the other nations of this world. They know what you are up to, and there's bound to be a coalition soon to prevent what has happened to my nation from ever happening again."

"Is that a threat?" Abby barked, stiffening her shoulders.

"More like a warning," the President told her above the sandstorm's howling. "You reap what you sow, you Vargas animals. My nation is not the first to fall to you, but it may very well be the last. I've heard the rumors! The other nations will make you pay and restore the status quo, putting an end to your conquest! They're drawing lines in the sand, and believe me, before long, no one would want to stand on your side of that line."

Abby threw back her head and laughed. "You do not scare me, little man. Let them come. The other nations do not know what they are dealing with. With every victory the Vargas Estate grows stronger. _I _grow stronger. The weak are consumed. It is the natural way."

The President didn't flinch. "You had better hope that you are right. Because if you are not, you will be sorry that you ever had reason to come into this office!"

"Perhaps I can make use of your warning," Alfonso figured, turning to Abby. "We have used mercenaries in the past, and our recent conquests have thinned our forces out somewhat."

"True..." Abby scowled, her distaste for mercenaries evident. "Which gang are you going to hire this time?"

Alfonso thumped his chest. "All of them. You have given my nation momentum, Abby, and I do not want to lose it. All of our recent mercenary gangs should be contacted: the Screaming Skulls, Morgan's Marauders, the Red Vikings, and of course... the Arctic Wolves. The quirkiest bunch, but one of the best."

Abby huffed and glanced back at the President. "Whatever you want, Alfonso. I want no part of mercenary business. Just be sure that they are worth the trouble." _I do not want the President's prediction to come true. Why cannot I shake the feeling that he is correct?_

"Set yourself at ease, Abby," Alfonso beamed, folding his arms across his chest. "I do not make mistakes. This world will be ours before you know it."


	2. Chapter 1 Arrival

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

_**Dropship **_**Hunter's Insight****_, Orbit, Korla,_**

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**June 16, 3075**_

19-year-old Alphonse Delarosa knew that becoming a technician would be a lot of hard work, but he wasn't quite expecting this.

"You're almost done, Al! Keep it up!" cheered dark-haired Lyla Lister as Alphonse panted for breath, heaving yet another crate of her mechanical odds and ends across the lower cargo deck of the _Hunter's Insight_. The somewhat petite but mischievous Lyla reclined in a fold-out chair, watching as the newest tech labored to finish the rather long list of chores she had assigned him. The Arctic Wolves mercenary gang could always use more hard workers, Lyla figured.

"This had better be worth the stuff you're going to give me," Alphonse huffed, referring to the sealed box of mechanical items Lyla had set aside as a prize for all the hard work. "Everything in that box will be mine?" He set the crate down with the others, then hurried off to fetch another. He wondered why Lyla had to scatter all her stuff everywhere in the 'mech bay.

"Oh, it will!" Lyla smiled. "You're such a great sport."

Alphonse seized the handles of another crate and heaved it up. "Yeah, easy for you to say."

The elevator doors to the lower 'mech bay slid open and the brunette Cassandra Goyua wandered in, already clad in her overalls and boots for work. A bright yellow ribbon was woven into her chestnut-colored hair, giving her a bit of flair. "Hey, everyone!" she greeted. "Oh, hard at work, Al?"

"Been working all morning!" Alphonse told her. "But in exchange, Lyla is giving me a lot of free stuff from her work labs. See that box sitting by her? I get whatever's inside."

A smile crossed Cassandra's face, one that Al couldn't read. "Really? Sounds like fun! Keep it up, but don't strain yourself, okay?"

"I'll try not to," Al huffed, and he finally set down the last few crates, wiping his brow and rubbing his hands together. He approached Lyla and the locked crate. "So, now for the reward."

Lyla sprang to her feet. "Of course!" She undid the lock on the prize crate, then stood back as Al knelt by the prize.

A look of shock spread on Alphonse's face when he opened the crate's lid, revealing the empty interior. "There's nothing in it!" He turned to face Lyla. "You said there would be stuff in here!"

"I said you'd get whatever is inside," Lyla smiled again, waving a finger. "But 'nothing' counts! Thanks for all the hard work."

Al sputtered as he stood up. "Then what was the point of that?"

"It made for a great incentive to get you working," Lyla said wisely.

"That's unfair," Alphonse slumped his shoulders while Cassandra suppressed a giggle.

"You're new around here, but you're kind of lazy, too," Lyla commented, wandering over to the prize crate and closing it. "I need to prod you along."

"You could have just told me..."

Lyla put her hands on her hips. "This way is more fun. And besides, this will earn you a little leeway for the next few days since you've done so much work!"

Alphonse made a face. "You make me sound like a little kid. I was in college just a few months ago, you know... I even played football there..."

Lyla's eyes widened as Cassandra watched in amusement. "What? You never told me that. How could you play sports but have so little energy? I mean, you take naps every day!"

Alphonse bristled. "I have a lot of stamina! It just doesn't last very long."

"How did you manage sports, then?" Cassandra smiled. "I've seen videos of you playing for your college, and you seemed to do just fine on the field."

"Combination of energy drinks, dedication, and a tough but good coach," Alphonse grinned, puffing himself up a little. "I might have lost my edge since becoming a tech back in January of this year, but whatever. I have a better future with this career than with throwing a pigskin around anyway."

"That's the spirit!" Cassandra cheered, clapping a hand on her friend's back. "You've got a long way to go compared to Lyla and I, but you're doing fine. And besides, this planet we're going to land on, Korla, is a tech's haven."

Alphonse looked back and forth between the two young women. "You both have been here before, right?"

Lyla nodded once. "Mmm-hmm. Back in 3074 we accepted a contract for one of the feuding nation-states on Korla, the Vargas Estate. It's the largest and wealthiest nation on that world, and they certainly showed their gratitude to use and the other mercs they had hired."

Alphonse looked around at the well-lit 'mech bay. "Is that how you Arctic Wolves could afford a _Fortress_-class dropship?"

At those words, Lyla winced slightly. "Ummm...yeah, and even though the Vargas family sold this dropship to us at 30% off regular price, we're really in debt now. Gotta complete several more contracts just to get out of the hole!"

"But it's worth it," Cassandra added confidently, playfully tossing a lock of her hair with a smile. "Nikolai, the CO, plans to expand the Wolves from a 'mech company to a full battalion someday, and this ship is going to impress future employers. Besides, we get more elbow room on here than we'd have on a ship like a _Union_-class. Not to mention we need room for our squadron of _Rapier_ aerospace fighters, as well as the fighters Nikolai plans to obtain in the future."

A glint of approval sparked in Alphonse's eyes. "I'm glad I signed up with an ambitious and capable merc squad. You work with good people, Cassandra."

"It was my brother Kyle's idea for me to join the Wolves for this year," Cassandra admitted. "Normally I'm working with the Mechwarrior academies like the Nagelring, but since the Wolves' next contract is going to be on Korla, Kyle encouraged me to come. I couldn't say no."

Alphonse recalled Kyle Goyua, Cassandra's rather timid but reliable older brother, a Mechwarrior who piloted a _Shadow Cat _with elegance and skill. According to Cassandra, he and fellow Mechwarrior Samantha Smith were a bit of an item, but Al was here for the technical work, not social networking.

A voice spoke on the intercom, that of Nikolai Kerensky. "All crew, prepare for descent into Korla's atmosphere. We've locked into a landing vector for the Vargas Estate's capital city, Elessium."

The three techs looked at once another. "Better buckle up," Lyla commented. "The adventure is about to start."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Spaceport, Elessium, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**June 16, 3075**_

Although Alphonse couldn't see anything that was happening, he certainly felt it when the _Hunter's Insight _settled on solid ground. Moments later, all the Mechwarriors, aerospace fighters, and other crew of the Arctic Wolves gathered at the dropship's entrance bay ramp as the ramp lowered itself, its pneumatic systems humming and whirring. At once, bright sunlight and hot, dry air washed into the 'mech bay, at once making Alphonse's mouth feel dry. He blinked and shielded his eyes as the ramp lowered itself entirely, revealing a vast tarmac outside where several small dropships were parked.

"And here we are," announced Nikolai Kerensky, spreading his arms wide in emphasis as he descended the wide ramp. His elbow-length hair, dyed blue and held together in a ponytail, started whipping side to side from the strong winds that blew across the spacious tarmac. His black leather jacket creaked slightly.

Alphonse swallowed as he and the other Arctic Wolves followed their commander. _Here I go, my first real adventure with the Arctic Wolves! Now, stay cool. I have to make a good impression to – whoa. _He flinched when he saw four burly men standing in a cluster near the ramp, all clad in black and red jackets, military-style pants and boots, and dog tags. Each of the big men had an identical patch on their sleeve shoulders: a black circle with the profile of a shouting skull, flames raging from the back of the skull. The men returned Alphonse's started look with contempt, especially the biggest. That man had short blond hair and dark sunglasses over his eyes, plus an elaborate cross-shaped tattoo on his neck. Getting chills down his spine, Alphonse turned away and found the actual greeting party: five men in business suits. All around the three parties, the skyscrapers, hotels, and apartments of Elessium rose high into the sky in all directions. A hot sun shone directly overhead in the cloudless sky.

"Welcome, Arctic Wolves," greeted the foremost businessman, a portly man with slicked-back dark hair. He heartily shook Nikolai's hand. "Good to see that you had a smooth landing, _si?"_

"No problems at all, Alfonso Vargas," Nikolai grinned politely. "And I look forward to my second visit to Korla. Well, Lyla and Cassandra will probably enjoy it even more for all the tech goodness, but still..."

"And I see that you're treating the _Hermes III _quite well," Alfonso commented, looking up at the Wolves' dropship.

"Actually, I re-named it the _Hunter's Insight _when I bought it," Nikolai corrected. "And it's part of the reason I'm here: I may be paying off my debt to you in installments, but it's a large sum either way."

Alfonso looked forgiving. "It is fine, Nikolai! You Wolves are reliable and disciplined people. I will look forward to finalizing a contract with you back at my mansion downtown. I need good soldiers at this time. I have many enemies."

_That man has a similar name to mine, _Alphonse thought idly, regarding the head man of the powerful Vargas family. _He sounds Spanish, like I am!_

Samantha Smith, the 2nd in command of the Wolves, glanced at the four burly men over her shoulder and back at Alfonso. "Who are the gorillas?"

Alfonso burst out laughing, a hearty sound. "_Senorita _Smith, they are the representatives of the Screaming Skulls mercenary gang. They too will be working for me and these four members wanted to see you all in person. Please play nice with them. I have enough problems as it is."

"Harry Saxon," offered the blond man, extending a meaty hand to Nikolai. He did not smile. "I'm the CO of the Screaming Skulls. You heard Mr. Vargas. Don't cross me or steal any of my kills, and we can get along all right. Hear me?"

"Relax, I hear you," Nikolai responded, unfazed as he shook Harry's hand. He frowned slightly at the larger man's strong grip. "Is this your first time on Korla?"

"For a combat contract? Yeah, it is," Harry grunted back, folding his arms and tilting his head slightly. "Bought some 'mechs and tech to start up my merc gang here, but I have no official ties to this sand ball. Mr. Vargas pays well, though, so my guns are his."

"Is this a desert planet?" Alphonse blurted. Some people turned to look at him.

"It is, Alphonse," Kyle answered quickly before Harry could make a rude answer. "This world is mostly arid, but there's some temperate grasslands, inland seas, and scattered oases. There are some mountains and valleys, too. But yeah, most of the surface is sand dunes."

Alphonse nodded, making a note to not say another word for a while. Harry Saxon, meanwhile, made a huffing sound and cracked a slight smile. "Never been here before, have you, Alphonse? Lemme tell you, Korla isn't for the faint of heart. Violent feuds, guerrilla warfare, cut-throat competition for mines and technology patents, and the goddamn heat of the desert are the features of this world. Better suck it up fast, boy. Just warning you."

"I would have put that more elegantly, but yes, that is what can be expected here," Alfonso said in Al's direction. Then back to Nikolai, he added, "Are you ready for transport?"

Nikolai nodded. "Yup."

Three lengthy white limousines all pulled up, each one bearing a hood ornament shaped like the letters "VE". The Arctic Wolves, Screaming Skulls, and Alfonso's party all approached the limos and climbed in one by one, enjoying the air conditioning. According to Mr. Vargas, there existed a number of dorms for mercenaries on the Vargas mansion's grounds, where the Wolves and Screaming Skulls would live for the duration of their contract.

Alphonse tried to get a seat next to Cassandra so he could ask her more about Korla, but someone was already sitting beside her. Cassandra's companion was a man with light brown hair and excitable eyes, a few years older than Al himself.

"Who are you?" Al asked as politely as he could manage.

The young man puffed out his chest importantly but smiled kindly. "I'm Carlos, son of Alfonso Vargas. I'm a 'mech jock, too. Been fighting in the arenas for years."

"He's a nice guy," Cassandra assured Alphonse, wrapping an arm around Carlos'. "He's also my boyfriend."

Alphonse climbed into a seat behind Carlos with a slight scowl. "Wonderful."


	3. Chapter 2 Deadlock

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 2: Deadlock**

_**Family Mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**June 16, 3075**_

Nikolai Kerensky hardly got a chance to see the inside of Alfonso Vargas' luxurious mansion before he was whisked to the command wing of the sprawling building. He did, however, get a view of the gardens, fountains, and sports car garages before being escorted into the mansion. Without a doubt, the wealthy Vargas family loved to show off its wealth on useless things like fountains that cost millions of C-Bills and wasting water on gardens of exotic flowers, but Nikolai knew that it wasn't his place to question such things. If anything, having a wealthy employer was the best position for him to be in.

The offices and rooms of the command wing were certainly less luxurious: computer banks, officers busy with paperwork at their desks, tactical maps, and code breaking teams were the main features here, and Nikolai felt much more at home in this place. By the mid-afternoon, he and several other men and women stood around a large holographic-display table in the main strategy room and listened to Alfonso Vargas speak.

"Nikolai Kerensky, Harry Saxon, Morgan Wynne, this is the general area you will be fighting in," stated Alfonso to the leaders of three mercenary gangs. Nikolai of the Arctic Wolves, Harry of the Screaming Skulls, and Morgan of Morgan's Marauders all focused on the table's map. The Vargas Estate, a roughly circular piece of territory almost 300 kilometers across, took up the map's center with a green outline. The sandy, rocky terrain of Korla stretched out all across the map, highlighting tactical areas such as valleys and mesas. Then the map zoomed out, shrinking the Vargas Estate to show the neighboring areas. A nearby nation-state, roughly half the Vargas Estate's size, appeared with a red outline.

Alfonso pointed at the red nation. "Everyone, this is the Alvarez County, a hotspot for aggression. As you know, in 3074 my Estate conquered the County from the Alvarez family to gain its technological wonders, but the Alvarez family and a lot of their troops and support staff escaped me and took refuge in other nearby nations."

"Any luck rooting them out?" asked Morgan hopefully, a tall young woman with lightly tanned skin and bright, lively eyes. Her long red hair fell halfway down her back. She wore camouflage pants and a white tank top, revealing her muscular but still feminine body.

"Yes and no," Alfonso huffed. "This other nation, bordered in yellow, is the Laurent Commonwealth, owned by the Laurent family. That nation had strong ties to the Alvarez family and harbors them with full hospitality." Anger infused his rich voice. "And the Laurent family is even supporting the Alvarez County's army with its military bases and supplies! The Laurent family is no doubt trying to help the Alvarez family re-conquer the County from me. This makes the Laurent family, and all their armed forces, enemies of us all."

Harry folded his arms and commented, "So you know where the fugitive Alvarez rats are hiding. Why dontcha just launch a frontal assault on the Laurent Commonwealth and end it? Your army was two regiments in size when I fought with you in 3074. Isn't that still that big?"

"Yes. The Vargas Guards regiment and the Vargas Pikers regiment are still at full size and prepared for combat," Alfonso told him impatiently, "but I lack the speed necessary to make a successful move on the Alvarez family."

"Still mostly using heavies and assault 'mechs?" Nikolai grinned.

"I've started to introduce more speed-oriented 'mechs to my army, Kerensky," Alfonso retorted, "but it's still not enough. The Alvzarez army, despite being just one regiment in size, has more speed and maneuverability than my forces, not to mention superior intelligence support. Don't forget that some of the other nations want to take down my Estate because of my conquests! This is what would happen if I directly assaulted the Laurent Commonwealth."

Everyone watched as clusters of green dots, representing the Vargas forces, all pushed slowly toward the Laurent Commonwealth. As the green dots moved, a smaller number of red dots, the Alvarez forces, exited the Laurent Commonwealth and slipped right past the Vargas forces and headed toward the heart of the Vargas Estate. Then, forces from other nearby nations poured into the exposed Vargas Estate, all attacking the Estate's military bases, cities, and supply lines. By the time the Vargas forces took the Laurent Commonwealth's capital, the Estate itself was ruined.

Nikolai let out a low whistle. "Like a pack of wolves pouncing on a moose."

"You'd know about wolves, wouldn't you?" sneered Harry.

"Let us not make silly comments," Alfonso said impatiently, motioning with his hands. He looked around at everyone with his calculating eyes. "I am in a delicate position. The Alvarez family and I stand at a deadlock, because their speed and allies make my frontal assault tactic impossible to use. However, my enemies lack the brute force to conquer my Estate, as long as I have both my army and my Long Toms and Arrow IV emplacements in my territory. The speed advantage of the Alvarez forces would do much less good on the offensive against me. Those artillery emplacements of mine won't keep me safe if my army is assaulting the Laurent Commonwealth, so I need my army here at home for now."

"What do you suggest?" Nikolai asked.

Alfonso pointed at the map again, where Vargas cities and military bases were shown as green squares. "The Alvarez forces rely on guerrilla tactics and ambushes to oppose me. My army has a large area to cover, spreading my forces thin to protect all of my territory. If I bunch up my forces, the Alvarez forces can easily slip through the openings and take out key bases. That's what I need you mercenaries for right now: to fill in the gaps and give me the advantage once again."

"Will three extra companies do the trick for that?" Nikolai asked. "Or do you plan to use us for specialized missions to weaken the Alvarez forces?"

Alfonso smiled. "You're thinking ahead, Nikolai. That is indeed what my plan is. I will you use you mercs to keep my borders safe until I can recruit more mercenaries and rally the other nations loyal to me. Then, I will have the numbers needed to take out the Alvarez family, _and _defend my lands. The Alvarez forces are the heroes of the nations who oppose me, as well as the smartest enemies I have. Taking them out and plundering their technology will move me one step closer to uniting this world under the Vargas banner! Peace can ensue and Korla will thank me for it."

Morgan shot Nikolai an amused look that he returned. _Is this guy a wacko or what? _Morgan mouthed behind Alfonso's back, to which Nikolai nodded with a suppressed grin. Still, a contract was a contract, and Alfonso's ultimate ambitions and dreams did not matter as long as Nikolai was paid well enough for his Arctic Wolves to fight. And it was good that Alfonso had a realistic plan for his mercenary helpers. Nikolai would never give up his Wolves as mere cannon fodder in a futile assault.

Nikolai changed gears. "What work will my techs do?" he asked. "I've got some fine mechanics with me including Lyla Lister and Cassandra Goyua."

"Korla is a world of machinery and ambition," Alfonso grinned. "Your techs will have plenty to do, especially when I plunder the Alvarez family's advanced equipment! I'll need mundane work like armor repairs and weapon refits, as well as any development projects my own mechanic crews can come up with. The Alvarez family has clever tactics and strange machinery: I can't let them keep that advantage for long."

_I knew it. Lyla's going to have a field day here! _Nikolai thought with content as Alfonso continued with the finer points of the feudal war. _I just hope she brought enough sunscreen._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**June 18, 3075**_

"This is the part I was waiting for!" beamed Cassandra Goyua as Carlos Vargas led her into the spacious 'mech bay situated near the Vargas family mansion grounds. Dozens of Battlemechs, from tiny light machines like the _Wasp _to heavy hitters like the _Thunderbolt _stood proudly along both walls, all painted in desert camouflage with red stripes on their wrists and ankles. The huge doors at the far end of the bay were wide open, revealing the Battlemech gladiator arena that the bay was connected to.

"All of my father's gladiator 'mechs, right here," Carlos grinned, holding Cassandra's hand as he led her further into the hangar with Lyla and Alphonse tagging along. "They've all been repaired, resupplied, and repainted just in time."

"In time for what?" Alphonse asked.

Carlos looked over his shoulder at Al. "Why, for the upcoming combat season! It's only a week away and I couldn't be more ready to fight. Last season, I didn't do so well, though..."

Cassandra gave Carlos a light punch on the shoulder. "Don't let that get you down, Carlos!"

"And it won't," Carlos assured her with a quick kiss. "Last season I had the misfortune to fight against Philip Deadeye, one of the best fighters. He took me out of the running just like that! But he retired when he won last season, so that boosts my chances this time!"

Cassandra laughed. "You get 'em, Carlos. So, this is your ride..." She stood before a _Shadow Hawk _that loomed over her, its guns silently pointing at the opposite wall. The 'mech's hands were clenched in fists at its sides, with one medium laser barrel mounted on each wrist. An LRM launcher was nestled on the 'mech's right shoulder, fifteen missile ports promising to deliver a deadly payload in combat. Finally, a bulky Ultra Autocannon 5 rested on the 'mech's left shoulder.

"It's a _Shadow Hawk_-7CS," Lyla commented with interest, putting her hands on her hips and craning her neck to look up at the 'mech's head. "Uses an Extra-Light engine, doesn't it?"

"Frees up room for a lot of ammo, yeah," Carlos added with enthusiasm, letting go of Cassandra's hand. "I can make that ammo last and I hardly even need the lasers!"

Alphonse, determined not to look like a novice, worked his brain quickly. He noticed the warm, dry air pouring in from the open bay doors. "You use mostly ammo weapons because of the hot climate here, don't you?"

"Naturally. Most 'mechs here, military and gladiator, rely primarily on ballistic and missile weapons," Carlos told him. "Energy weapons simply heat up 'mechs too much around here, and besides, missiles are more satisfying to use. I just love watching my foes getting blasted to shards and knocked onto their rear ends."

"I'm glad you're on our side, then," Al grinned.

Carlos gave him a calculating look. "Are you a 'mech pilot too?"

"Who, me? No, just a mechanic," Al shrugged.

"A raw rookie, too," Lyla added slyly. "He's being trained by Cassandra. Didn't even know the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer six months ago!"

"That's not true," Al bit back.

"It might as well be..." she teased him.

Cassandra hid a giggle behind her hand. "They're always like this, Carlos, but we all get along fine. Al's a nice guy. He's willing to learn."

"You don't have to patronize me..." Alphonse mumbled. _It's weird being the runt of the litter here. Back on my university's football team, I was the big guy! Why does this Carlos guy get all the attention? I really like Cassandra but can't find a way to impress her._

"Anyway," Carlos said briskly, "I've been training in my simulator, I was thinking of doing some live-fire exercises to show off what I can do." A smile spread across his face. "Anyone want to watch me?"

Everyone agreed, and thus Carlos wandered over to his locker on the wall, gathered up his cooling vest and boots, and went into a small side chamber to change.

"Wait a minute," Alphonse frowned, giving all the 'mechs another look.

"Huh?" Cassandra perked up.

Alphonse motioned. "Alfonso Vargas is waging war with the Alvarez family and other nations..."

"So?" Lyla insisted.

"So, why isn't he using these 'mechs to fight too?" Al wondered. "All this firepower being used in the arena... you'd think Alfonso would want more guns on the battlefield to defend his realm."

"That would be true, Mr. Delarosa, if these 'mechs were owned by my father," came Carlos' voice as he returned to everyone clad in his vest, boots, and shorts. He ran a hand through his well-kept brown hair. "But all these 'mechs are privately owned by their pilots, including mine. My uncle used to pilot that _Shadow Hawk _in the arena, and now it's been passed to me. It's my pride and joy!"

"Then let's see it in action," Cassandra encouraged him.

After giving Cassandra a warm look, Carlos ascended the ladder into his 'mech, climbed into the cockpit, and shut the canopy glass. A minute later the 55-ton 'mech rumbled to life, unclenching its fists and raising its laser barrels to a combat posture. The 'mech's left foot lifted off the bay floor, planting itself forward with a heavy thump. Gaining speed, the _Shadow Hawk _took another step, then broke out into a casual trot toward the waiting arena. Hopping onto a small transport vehicle, Alphonse, Lyla, and Cassandra drove to the bay's opposite side and watched Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _march into the center of the arena.

Wind-blown sand rippled across the desert floor of the arena, over the small dunes and valleys that varied the terrain. Rather than being the stadium-like combat arenas on worlds like Solaris VII, this arena was merely a large square patch of desert bordered by ten-foot high walls to mark the boundaries. Four multi-story towers stood on the sides, housing seats for spectators. Alphonse had to guess that put together, the towers could support at least a thousands spectators, and camera stations on top of the towers could broadcast the arena games to all citizens of the Vargas Estate.

As the _Shadow Hawk _reached the arena's center, a number of large metal sheets popped out of the ground, with various 'mechs painted on them. Running quickly side to side, the _Shadow Hawk _locked its guns on the false 'mechs and opened fire. Fifteen warheads streaked out of the shoulder-mounted missile pod, leaving a cluster of gray smoke trails. Alphonse had to shield his eyes from the sudden light as explosions engulfed a target.

Both Lyla and Cassandra cheered excitedly as Carlos' 'mech trotted away from the ruined target, this time firing its UAC 5. The deadly shells rattled a second target, punching holes right through it. Then, two beams of red light lit up from the _Shadow Hawk_'s wrists, melting the hole-ridden target into steaming slag. The rest of the targets fell within minutes as Carlos expertly combined quick movements with sharp aiming, Both Cassandra and Lyla were quite excited when everyone met up again in the hangar.

"You move better than I expected," Lyla commented brightly as Carlos descended the ladder of his 'mech.

"That comes from practice and dedication," Carlos winked with a toothy smile, and Alphonse fought hard not to roll his eyes.

"Keep this up, and you'll get that championship, Carlos," Cassandra told him fondly, giving him a quick hug. "I'll be watching!"

"Me too," Lyla added.

Carlos turned to Al. "Are you a 'mech gladiator fan, Al? Going to watch the season's games?"

Alphonse shrugged. "Sure. I'll watch you fight." _I hope you get your ass kicked!_


	4. Chapter 3 Pit of Hell

**STEEL WOLF**

**A/N:** The last scene of chapter 2 was set in July 18, but it was meant to be June 18. That error has been corrected.

**Chapter 3: Pit of Hell**

_**Trade route, Alvarez County, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**June 22, 3075**_

Kyle Goyua did his best not to think about the thick, sweltering heat in his _Shadow Cat_'s cockpit, but it was no use.

"You know, I could go for a cold lemonade right now," Kyle admitted with a slight grin, tapping into Samantha Smith's private comm. "Plus a massage..."

"You're not getting a massage from _me_," Samantha responded, a smirk in her voice.

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't earned it yet, Kyle," Samantha responded warmly. "Remember, us Wolves only get what we work for. Though there are masseuses at the Vargas family mansion you could hire..."

Kyle couldn't help a laugh. "I dunno if I could afford that, dear. Have you seen how opulent that place is? I'd have to sell three organs to afford the price of one massage. And that doesn't count the towel."

Samantha shared the laugh. "Oh, screw it. The capital city, Beliza, probably has enough bars to cool yourself down with. Ever had a strawberry daiquiri? It's wonderful..."

"I dunno, but what about hard lemonade?"

"That too, if you're feeling simplistic!"

A new voice crackled onto the public comm. "We're now approaching the rendevous point. Hold position and stand by," instructed Nikolai Kerensky.

Kyle watched as Nikolai's camouflaged _Marauder _lumbered to a halt next to a cluster of rocks by the asphalt road, the 'mech's gun barrels lowered. Kyle brought his _Shadow Cat _to a halt a dozen meters away, watching the other 'mechs of the two lances do the same. One lance of Arctic Wolves 'mechs stayed behind at a 'mech hangar at Beliza while two lances carried out the Wolves' first mission for this contract. Beside Kyle's _Shadow Cat _stood the _Marauder_s of Nikolai of Samantha, along with a third _Marauder _belonging to a calm and confident warrior names Thomas Blitz. Two other _Marauder_s stood nearby, belonging to Mechwarriors Michelle Brandon and Gunther Zimmerman. The seventh 'mech, an _Atlas_, belonged to "Fury" Lister, the brawny bigger brother of Lyla Lister. Lastly, there was a _Jenner _piloted by a shy warrior named Juno Wealthow.

"They're late," commented Thomas ten minutes later as the scorching Korla sun crept past the noon position, minimizing the shadows of the eight waiting 'mechs.

"Just give it a little time," Nikolai told him. "They should be... there, I see 'em."

Noticing the ping on his radar, Kyle twisted on his _Shadow Cat_'s torso and watched eight new Battlemechs approaching from the horizon, the 'mechs hazy through the wavering hot air. Nikolai sent out a hail: "It's us, the Arctic Wolves. This is Nikolai speaking."

A deep voice responded cockily. "Screaming Skulls on the approach. This is Harry Saxon speaking. I hope you mutts can keep up with us Skulls when the fighting starts."

_Mutts? We're wolves! _Kyle bristled, but he decided not to start an argument this early into the mission. Instead, he watched the two lances approach, and his _Shadow Cat _achieved a positive ID that they were 'mechs of the Screaming Skulls mercenary gang. Indeed, an emblem of a sideways screaming skull against a black circle with fire raging from the back of the skull was on each 'mech's torso and left shoulder. The lead 'mech, a _Bushwacker_, walked right up to Nikolai's _Marauder _and tilted its cockpit up to regard the bigger 'mech eye to eye. "Ready to move out, Kerensky?"

"Right. Ready op, Wolves," Nikolai told everyone, then added to Harry, "I hope your boneheaded warriors can hold out when the fighting gets rough. I don't want to haul your busted 'mechs all the way back to Alfonso's mansion!"

Kyle flinched at the blatant teasing, but Harry Saxon only chuckled roughly. "I think we're going to get along fine, Kerensky. Move it, Skulls! It's fun time."

The other seven Screaming Skulls 'mechs formed up on Harry's _Bushwacker_, an assortment of medium 'mechs: three more _Bushwacker_s, three _Whitworth_s, and a _Griffin_. Nikolai let the two Screaming Skulls lances start marching down the trade road, then he led his fellow Arctic Wolves along in formation right behind the Skulls.

"Okay, let's go over the mission once more," Nikolai told his Wolves a few minutes later. "We're going to retake a supply depot that the Alvarez Country guerrilla forces recently captured from Vargas Estate forces. This supply point connects to a lot of the Estate's mines, cities, and other supply depots so it's important for Alfonso Vargas to get this supply depot back. We move in, kick out the Alvarez forces, and hold the depot until reinforcements can arrive and secure it." He added with wry humor, "Then, we can return to Beliza and hit up the bars and get some hard lemonade."

"See? Lemonade _is _best," Kyle teased Samantha.

"Whatever, Kyle..."

Half an hour later, the supply depot, a trio of four-story buildings, showed up on the extreme edge of Kyle's radar. His radar also picked up nearly twenty hostile Battlemechs.

"Go in weapons hot!" Nikolai shouted. An instant later, a cluster of LRM's exploded against his _Marauder_, engulfing its torso in seething flames. The _Marauder _buckled, its legs straining against the kinetic force.

"Boss!" exclaimed Thomas.

"Relax, Blitz," Nikolai responded, using Thomas' callsign. "Just open fire."

Kyle trotted to the side, breaking free of the other Wolves to get a clear shot. He took a deep breath and rested his finger on the main button of his right joystick, which could trigger his Clan Gauss Rifle in his 'mech's right arm. Three ER medium lasers rested in his _Shadow Cat_'s left torso, and two machine guns sat in the right torso to deter infantry. As the _Marauder_s of the Arctic Wolves and _Whitworth_s of the Screaming Skulls opened long-range fire with PPC's and LRM's, Kyle activated his optical zoom. He found an Alvarez _Vindicator _that stood apart from its allies, firing its LRM 5 and PPC at the Arctic Wolves 'mechs. Fixing his crosshairs onto the _Vindicator_, Kyle held his 'mech still and pressed his right joystick's button.

The whole _Shadow Cat _jerked back as the Gauss Rifle fired, but Kyle was rewarded by seeing the _Vindicator _reel as though punched in the face. The metallic Gauss slug hammered the 'mech's upper chest, bending sheets of metal out of shape and creating a shower of sparks. A second later, Samantha's customized _Marauder _raised its arm pods and fired. One Light Gauss Rifle sat in each of Samantha's _Marauder_'s arm pods, and both metallic slugs punched into the wounded _Vindicator_'s chest. The 45-ton 'mech stumbled back, smoke and fire leaking from the jagged wounds in its chest. Kyle launched another Gauss slug, and the metal sphere blasted into the _Vindicator_'s torso and breached critical systems. Even more fire burst from the _Vindicator_'s chest, and the 'mech slumped over in defeat and sprawled across the sandy ground in a puff of dust.

"Slippery bastards," Nikolai cursed. His PPC's streaked past his intended target, an Alvarez _Trebuchet_. He wasn't the only one missing; the Alvarez 'mechs, none of them heavier than 60 tons, continuously moved in flowing patterns across the battlefield like schools of fish, letting most of the PPC's and missiles of the Arctic Wolves and Screaming Skulls fly harmlessly past. Worse, the Alvarez 'mechs tended to focus their fire, with four or five 'mechs concentrating their fire on just one Wolf or Skull 'mech. Already, two _Whitworth_s of the Screaming Skulls team had gone down, and the rest of Harry's mechs were in bad shape. Michelle and Gunther's _Marauder_s lay in pieces on the desert floor, and their pilots had already ejected and landed safely near the road. Fury's _Atlas_' thick armor protected it a lot of firepower, but Fury relied on short-range weapons, making his _Atlas _little more than a punching bag during the long-range battle.

Kyle tried to evade enemy fire as best as he could, but LRM's and Autocannon bursts from Alvarez _Shadow Hawk_s peppered his _Shadow Cat _from head to toe, quickly chipping away at his armor. More than once, he tried to get a bead on an opposing 'mech, only to get thrown off-balance by taking more fire.

A Screaming Skulls _Bushwacker _succumbed to the Alvarez Battlemechs' LRM's, slumping in smoking ruins to the desert floor. However, the remaining five Screaming Skulls rallied and returned fire, their LRM's and large lasers finally catching the slippery Alvarez 'mechs. An Alvarez _Trebuchet _staggered back as large lasers from the Screaming Skulls _Bushwacker_s stabbed its torso, causing globs of molten armor to slosh onto the sand. Two LRM 5 clusters from Harry's 'mech pounded onto the wounded _Trebuchet_, knocking the 'mech onto its back and blowing out its inner systems. Then, Samantha's Light Gauss Rifles tore into an Alvarez _Rifleman_, shearing off the 'mech's left arm. Thomas' PPC's lashed across the _Rifleman_'s chest along with Kyle's Gauss Rifle slug, and the 60-tonner crumpled.

The remaining Alvarez 'mechs broke off and retreated, scampering across the dunes faster than the Arctic Wolves or Screaming Skulls could recycle their weapons. By the time the Wolves fired another volley of PPC's, the Alvarez forces had gotten out of range and vanished behind a ridge of dunes.

"That's it. Stand down," Nikolai told the Wolves, his breathing heavy. "Advance to the supply depot but watch for ambushes. The Alvarez Country forces are known for their hit-and-run tactics."

"I'll go first," Harry decided, his battered _Bushwacker _taking point. Although his 55-ton 'mech had its armor worn thin and some of its inner systems were exposed, the 'mech marched forward with impeccable confidence and pride, the other four Skulls 'mechs tagging along. The six remaining Arctic Wolves 'mechs followed close behind, constantly checking their flanks for any ambushes en route to the supply depot. Kyle reached the edge of the depot's facility without any trouble, trampling over a chain-link fence that enclosed the depot. Then his _Shadow Cat _stomped across a wide parking lot that was empty except for a few cargo trucks that sat silently.

"No enemy contact," Nikolai muttered on the comm. "Unless the enemy is waiting behind the buildings, powered down to hide their presence. Kyle?"

Kyle gently pushed on his throttle. "I'm on it." He activated his Beagle Active Probe, expanding the range of his radar. He trotted his 'mech around the corner of the nearest structure of the supply depot, passing a closed pair of cargo bay doors. No enemy contacts appeared anywhere, no powered vehicles at all in fact. Frowning slightly, Kyle moved on to the other two buildings, passing by a number of communication towers. "Boss, I've got nothing here," Kyle reported, using Nikolai's callsign.

"Hmmmmm. Copy that," Nikolai responded uneasily. "By what Alfonso Vargas told me, the Alvarez guys like to use hit-and-run tactics and ambushes. What are they waiting for? For us to let down their guard?"

Fury's _Atlas _lumbered forward a few steps. "Like hell they'll catch us with our pants down," he said gruffly.

"Right," Nikolai agreed. "Wolves, we're going to make patrols around the depot's perimeter and rotate patrol duty every hour until the Vargas Estate reinforcements get here and take care of things."

"Same to us," Harry told his men. "Get patrolling. I don't want anyone else to go down. Jonson, go out there and retrieve the ejection pods."

"Roger that." The _Griffin _lumbered off, its fingers uncurling on its hands. Nikolai sent Fury to retrieve the ejected Wolves, since his _Atlas _was the only Wolf 'mech with hands. Samantha, meanwhile, was chosen for the first guard detail, and she trotted off toward the edge of the supply depot to get to work.

A rumbling shudder and pillar of fire was the first sign of attack.

"Fall back!" Nikolai bellowed as Samantha's _Marauder _was thrown back by the jet of fire that erupted from the ground close to her 'mech. Her _Marauder _stumbled awkwardly back, its armor creaking loudly as the 'mech fought to stay on its feet. Its wide feet scuffed against the ground, fighting to keep steady as the earth trembled.

_Where did that come from? Was it a Long Tom? _Kyle thought frantically, checking his expanded radar. Nothing except the Arctic Wolves and Screaming Skulls 'mechs appeared, but two more jets of fire burst from the ground, blasting a Skulls _Bushwacker_. The 'mech slipped and fell onto its rear, its front armor vaporized from the explosion. Right as the 'mech fell, yet another detonation sent it flying again, shattering into multiple flaming pieces.

"Wait... mines! This whole place is rigged!" Nikolai shouted. "Wolves, move out! Just run!"

More and more explosions rumbled the ground, pillars of fire erupting all over the place at an increasing rate. Even the three buildings bulged from explosions within, blasting chunks of concrete every which way. The very earth began to buckle and sink, the soft ground unable to withstand the pressure. Kyle shoved his throttle to maximum, his _Shadow Cat _scampering across the supply depot grounds. Harry Saxon's _Bushwacker _hurried past one of the three buildings, but then another explosion within the building broke the wall free. Huge chunks of concrete and steel framework collapsed on the _Bushwacker_, and the 55-ton 'mech staggered from the blows and then slumped to the ground, its legs straining against the rubble falling on the 'mech.

As the other Arctic Wolves hurried away from the kill zone, Kyle backed up and aimed crosshairs at a large chunk of concrete that weighed down the _Bushwacker_. His three medium lasers raked the concrete, melting off sections of the chunk and shrinking the chunk's size. Kyle squeezed his Gauss Rifle's trigger, and the metallic ball smashed into the remaining concrete, blasting it into pieces.

"Kyle Goyua! Where are you?" Nikolai's voice demanded.

"Just a second, sir!" Kyle shouted back, blood pounding in his ears as more mines rattled the earth. His Gauss Rifle recycled and he fired it again, knocking away a steel frame piece that was weighing down the _Bushwacker_'s left leg. "Can you get up?" Kyle asked on the comm.

The _Bushwacker _groaned and trembled with strain, but the 'mech pushed itself upright with its arms' weapon pods and its four-toed feet secured a steady grip on the ground. Unsteadily, the 'mech rose to its feet and began to walk forward, gaining speed when it didn't trigger any further mines.

"You saved my ass, kid," Harry Saxon croaked as multiple Alvarez lances appeared on the far edges of Kyle's radar. "Those Alvarez assholes are coming back to mop any stragglers! If you hadn't freed me from this pit of hell..." As he spoke, billowing fires raged from the ruined building, bits of flaming debris raining all around his 'mech.

"Let's just go," Kyle encouraged him, pushing his throttle back to full. "We've only got a minute to escape."

"Kyle! Get over here!" Nikolai shouted as the Arctic Wolves and Screaming Skulls regrouped on top of a sand dune. The Alvarez forces approached from the opposite side of the supply depot but were closing in fast.

"Yes, sir!" Kyle scampered out of the minefield and up the sand dune, taking his place by Samantha's _Marauder_. Meanwhile, Harry's _Bushwacker _rejoined the other Skulls, and all of the mercenary Battlemechs fled the scene, leaving the Alvarez forces and the remains of the supply depot far behind. Kyle figured that the Wolves and Skulls would regroup with their two fellows at the road to regroup and retrieve the ejected warriors.

As soon as the Wolves were sure that no one was following them, Nikolai tapped into the comm. "I see what happened here. That supply depot connected to a lot more supply networks for the Vargas family than for the Alvarez forces, so instead of wasting men trying to reclaim it, the Alvarez commanders chose to blow it up and deny the Vargas family those assets. They probably hoped to take out Alfonso's mercenary aid at the same time. Also, Kyle, I want an explanation for what you did."

Kyle swallowed and responded, "I-impulse, I guess. I didn't want a valuable ally to die like that. Alfonso Vargas needs mercenary strike forces in order to take the fight to the Alvarez Country and Laurent Commonwealth troops, so I didn't want the Screaming Skulls losing their leadership so soon into this contract. Besides... I still got out of there, didn't I?"

"I suppose," Nikolai said slowly. "But I don't want any more stunts. We're a close-knit pack. We don't take self-sacrifice easily."

"Understood, sir," Kyle hung his head.

Samantha spoke up, "Kyle, that was a ridiculous and risky thing to do."

"I know, all right?" Kyle bit back impatiently.

"But..." Samantha added, "it was also a bit heroic, I guess. The Skulls also owe us a favor now, which might come in handy someday. So, overall... nice going."

"Thanks."


	5. Chapter 4 Stadium Lights

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 4: Stadium Lights**

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**June 25, 3075**_

"So, are you _sure _you're ready, Carlos?" Cassandra teased her boyfriend yet again as the latter slipped on his cooling vest.

Carlos flashed her a quick smile. "I've been looking over the competition, their strategies, their 'mechs, their personal feuds. This first match will honesty be the most difficult for me. If I can get past this... then I've pretty much already claimed the grand prize."

"Then you get out there and prove yourself," Cassandra encouraged him with a hand clapped to his shoulder. She ran a hand through a lock of her soft brown hair. "I'll be watching!"

"Great," Carlos nodded. "The match is about to start. Might want to get moving..." He rubbed his hands together and walked off toward his waiting _Shadow Hawk_, while the support staff crew backed away to let the Mechwarrior though. Cassandra, meanwhile, hopped on board a small personnel transport truck that drove her across the desert road and toward the northern grandstands tower.

As the hot Korla sun settled on the horizon and the opposite horizon's sky turned dark blue, Cassandra showed her VIP pass to the tower security officer, who nodded and told her to take seat A-23. A cool, dry breeze toyed with Cassandra's hair as she worked her way through the line and ascended the elevator to the tower's top level of seats. From there, she settled down on her seat, looking this way and that. _Wow, this seat does give the best view! _She thought. _I can see everything easily from here. And the desert evening is so pretty, so calm and somehow colorful. _She could see a few stars shining brightly on the dark horizon and a pair of helicopters buzzed over the Vargas family mansion, red and green lights flashing on their hulls. Several towers loaded with powerful lights illuminated the square stadium against the evening twilight.

"Great view, isn't it?"

Cassandra jumped as Lyla Lister's voice interrupted her thoughts, and the dark-haired tech smiled playfully, settling down in the seat next to Cassandra's. She carried an armload of snacks and candy.

"I... yeah, I can see everything from here," Cassandra said, gawking at how much Lyla carried. "How can you eat all that and not get fat? This isn't the first time I've seen you eat like that..."

Lyla laughed as she unwrapped the foil from a hot dog loaded with condiments. "Chalk it up to a high metabolism. I also paid for a deluxe seat like yours. Not cheap." She offered a box of assorted candy to Cassandra, who accepted it.

"People of the Vargas Estate, welcome to the 3075 Arena Tournament! This is Donald Durand, commentating live on the action!" boomed a voice on the loudspeakers. "Last year, Deadeye Philip claimed the title of champion yet again, but his retirement opens a power vacuum that many are willing to fill!"

"Nothing like a good scramble for power," Lyla commented, tearing open a bag of candies. "It's fun watching folks trample over each other to get the goods."

The announcer continued, "Tonight will be the first of eight four-way free-for-all games to determine who advances to the next round. We have thirty-two contestants in this year's tournament, and so only eight warriors will advance to the second set of rounds! After that, we get an intense series of duels to see who can claim the championship. Here come the contestants now!"

As the gates for the four 'mechs opened, Cassandra recalled how the tournament worked. Starting today, there would be one four-way match every week, and at the end of eight weeks the duels would start. The ninth week of the tournament would consist of four duels, the tenth week had two duels, and the hotly-anticipated eleventh week would have the final duel for the title of champion.

"And now, we get our first contestant tonight: Michael Fournier in his personal and classic 'mech, the one we know as The Legionnaire!" declared the announcer. "This _Centurion _has seen action since the Fourth Succession War and endured many hardships on faraway battlefields. And now, Mr. Fournier brings it to the glory of the arena!"

A red and white _Centurion _marched proudly into the arena from the east entrance, its right arm's Autocannon 10 lowered. The 'mech's head frill was painted vivid gold and its view-port was a shiny silver sheen, giving an air of luxury to the war machine. The _Centurion _waved to the audience with its left hand, then settled to a halt at its designated starting point.

"No relation to the actual _Legionnaire _'mech, I assume," Lyla said around a mouthful of gummy worms, referring to the Lyran-made 50-ton 'mech.

"Our second contender is a daring upstart: Franklin Klein!" the announcer spoke. "Little is known of his 'mech that he calls Whiplash, but this _Uziel _looks ready for action all the same." A blue and white _Uziel _pranced onto the battlefield from the northern gate, sporting House Steiner's colors proudly. The 50-ton 'mech raised and lowered its left arm's LBX-2 as a wave, then settled into position.

"And our third contender, a Capellan visitor with everything to prove," the announcer boomed. "Please welcome Wen Liang!" A green and silver _Helios _trotted onto the field from the west gate, its gun barrels lowered like the _Centurion_'s. It took up its position across from the _Centurion_.

"And finally, I would like to welcome Carlos Vargas, son of our esteemed leader Alfonso Vargas!" shouted the announcer, and the crowd went wild as Carlos' desert-camouflage _Shadow Hawk _marched onto the field from the south gate. "Carlos showed real promise last year and was halted only by the indomitable power of Philip Deadeye. In the absence of our long-standing champion, will Carlos find the championship he desires so much?"

Lyla prodded Cassandra. "Looks like your guy is the crowd favorite!"

"It seems so," Cassandra smiled, setting down her empty candy box and leaning forward, intently watching Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _as it waved to the audience with both arms. It stood rigidly in position, awaiting the signal to fight.

"We have our four contestants, all with their eyes on the prize," the announcer declared. "Let the match... begin!"

A horn blared somewhere and the stadium lights flashed green. At once, the four 'mechs burst into movement, all of them tracing wide, curving paths across the desert arena to line up shots and avoid each other's fire.

"So how much did you bet on Carlos?" Lyla asked Cassandra around a mouthful of candy.

Cassandra blinked. "I, um... didn't think to do that."

Lyla elbowed her friend. "Don't think he'll win?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then you might want to make a little cash off of it, my friend. To help pay for the _Hunter's Insight _and all..."

"Or to afford the masseuses at the Vargas mansion."

Lyla smiled. "I like how you think. We've _got _to try that out..."

Down in the sandy arena, Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _fired up its jump jets, rising on a plume of fierce yellow and orange fire to glide upwards and to the right. Carlos was just in time; a blaze of light flashed from the _Centurion_'s arm muzzle, and ten Autocannon shells tore through the warm, empty air where the _Shadow Hawk _had been only minutes before. Turning in mid-air to face the enemy 'mech, the _Shadow Hawk _released a volley of LRM's from its right shoulder. The _Centurion_, alarmed, hurried to its right to avoid the incoming warheads. Cassandra watched as the missiles hit the target anyway, a string of explosions rocking the _Centurion _and forcing the Romanesque 'mech back. Chunks of smoking armor flew from its chest and to the sands.

_That's the power of an Artemis IV system, _Cassandra thought with glee. As she watched, Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _landed and strafed to the side, now firing its shoulder-mounted Ultra Autocannon 5. The shells rattled the _Centurion_'s thigh, blasting off flakes of armor and making the 50-tonner stumble awkwardly.

Then, the _Shadow Hawk _reeled back as though punched in the face. The _Helios _confidently stepped forward, its Gauss Rifle cannon aimed straight at Carlos' 'mech. Cassandra could tell from the hideous dent in the _Shadow Hawk_'s left torso that a Gauss slug had hit right on target from long range.

Before the _Helios _could make another move, however, the _Uziel _scampered forward, its guns aimed at the distracted 'mech. Its large pulse laser released a stream of bright red bolts that pounded into the _Helios_' exposed back, melting off small globs of armor that fell to the dunes. The _Uziel _then fired its LBX-2, and the pair of shotgun-like shells bit into the melted armor on the _Helios_' back.

Whirling around, the infuriated _Helios _pilot slashed the _Uziel_'s center torso with a pair of ER medium lasers from its left arm, the sudden loss of armor throwing the _Uziel_'s charge off-balance. Then, from 400 meters out, the _Helios_' two shoulder-mounted SRM 6's opened fire. This time, the _Uziel _was thrown off its feet and collapsed to its side, its legs kicking uselessly in the air.

Cassandra gawked at the sight. _Those SRM's threw that 'mech to the ground! What was that _Uziel _pilot thinking, charging right at a 'mech armed with twelve SRM's?_

"I wonder if that guy was trying to get too close for the Gauss Rifle to be a threat," Lyla figured. "But sniper 'mechs often have short-range defense in case of a headlong attack like that one."

Meanwhile, the _Centurion _pilot decided that the _Uziel _was too reckless to keep on the field for much longer. Its Autocannon 10 and LRM 10 punished the ravaged _Uziel_, tearing off smoking shards of armor and severing the 50-ton 'mech's left arm, robbing it of its LBX-2. Instead of giving up, however, the _Uziel _flared up its jump jets, pushing itself into a standing position. The _Uziel_ aimed its guns at the _Centurion _and let loose, its combined SRM 6 and large pulse laser hammering the _Centurion_'s left torso, mangling the LRM 10 launcher there. The _Centurion _reeled back as its internal LRM ammunition exploded, filling its inner torso with fire.

"And now that _Centurion _is dead," Lyla smirked. "Makes Carlos' job easier – what the hell?"

Instead of preying on the fire-ravaged _Centurion_, however, the _Helios _turned its guns on Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _and let loose. It fired two lasers just to distract Carlos, and then its right arm recoiled from launching another Gauss slug. The _Shadow Hawk_'s torso armor caved in at once, screeching loudly as it was warped out of shape. A shower of sparks and smoke burst from the wounded _Shadow Hawk_, and the 'mech's legs fought to keep the 'mech from falling over entirely. Carlos filled the air with his two medium lasers, but the bolts went wide and sizzled harmlessly into the dunes.

The flaming _Centurion_, meanwhile, slowly raised its arm and its Autocannon thunderously released ten more shells. The ballistics hammered into the _Uziel_, which twisted on its torso to lessen the kinetic impact. The _Uziel _fired its large pulse laser again, but the stubborn _Centurion _scampered out of the way, letting the lasers fill empty air. The _Uziel _also fired its SRM 6, and the missiles exploded against the _Centurion_'s right shoulder, exposing its inner metal bones.

Recovering from the hellish Gauss Rifle attack, Carlos moved his _Shadow Hawk _into position. His combined LRM 15 and UAC 5 tore apart the _Centurion_'s mangled torso, shearing through flaming armor and destroying inner components. Heat sinks exploded and the 'mech's inner bones warped and snapped, causing the whole _Centurion _to collapse like a house of cards, sprawling into its back. As it fell, the pilot's ejection pod roared into the sky, raising cheers from the audience.

"And we have our first victim!" the announcer roared. "Michael Fournier is out of the running for the championship. Well played, Mechwarrior, and better luck next season!"

Not distracted by the _Centurion_'s fiery demise, the Capellan pilot of the _Helios _rounded on the injured _Uziel _and let loose. His two medium lasers raked the _Uziel_'s torso, melting its right leg's hip into one fused piece. The _Uziel _tried to limp out of the way, but its right leg was locked up and the 'mech nearly fell over. Showing no mercy, the _Helios _unloaded the rest of its weapons on the hapless _Uziel_. A Gauss slug punched into the 50-ton 'mech, breaching the last of its torso armor and igniting fires on the inner systems. Then, twelve SRM's leaped onto the _Uziel _like hungry piranhas, shredding the rest of its inner components. Just as the _Uziel _crumbled in a swelling fireball, the pilot streaked into the air in his ejection pod.

"Franklin Klein joins Michael Fournier in defeat. It seems this young rookie has more to learn!" the announcer commented. "That leaves only two warriors to vie for victory tonight!"

Determined not to suffer a third Gauss slug impact, Carlos took to the air again just as the _Helios _turned to face him. The _Helios _triggered two lasers that sliced through empty air, and then Carlos hit back with an LRM 15 volley that staggered the _Helios _with explosions all over its torso. Landing its feet on top of a dune, Carlos raised his _Shadow Hawk_'s arms and triggered his own two lasers. One missed while the other stabbed into the _Helios_' torso, burning deep into an LRM wound, but the _Helios _still stood strong.

"If Carlos fights at a long distance, he only has to worry about the Gauss Rifle," Cassandra figured. "He has Artemis-aided LRMs and a UAC on his side."

Lyla nodded. "As long as Carlos stays far away and avoids that Gauss Rifle, he's bound to win. But Gauss slugs move fast! Carlos will have to read his enemy's movements to guess when the Rifle will fire again."

Carlos let loose another LRM 15 volley but this time, the _Helios _fired up its own jump jets, quickly strafing to the side. The LRMs curved in mid-flight to catch up, but they couldn't turn fast enough. Half of the missiles streaked past their target while the rest exploded against the _Helios_' left arm, blasting away its armor.

Using the LRM smoke as a screen, the _Helios _triggered its Gauss Rifle again, its right arm jerking back from the recoil. The metal slug hissed through the air across nearly 600 meters, then the _Shadow Hawk_'s left arm jerked back as the Gauss slug smashed into it. Fire and sparks leaked from the wound as the _Shadow Hawk_'s left arm lost all its armor, and even its inner bones nearly snapped off. The limb dangled from the shoulder by a few cords of myomer muscles, the limb's medium laser useless.

The _Helios _continued to strafe from side to side, taunting Carlos to fire back. Aggravated, Carlos matched his enemy's movement, launching another LRM 15 volley. Once again, the_ Helios _evaded fire, this time by changing direction and lifting off in its jump jets. Only a few missiles exploded against its leg. Not giving the _Helios _any respite, Carlos fired his UAC 5 as the missiles hit the _Helios_' leg, and the five shells impacted against the _Helios_' torso, breaking off flakes of armor.

Landing on the sand, the _Helios _triggered its Gauss Rifle again, but the slug went wide and slammed into a dune. Carlos fired his UAC again, striking the enemy 'mech's left torso. Taking advantage of the gun's short re-fire delay, Carlos triggered his UAC as often as he could without jamming it, filling the air with deadly bursts of shells. The _Helios _dodged as best as it could, but impact marks started to riddle its torso and SRM launchers, and another LRM 15 volley from Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _exploded against the _Helios_, staggering it.

Growing bold, Carlos took a few steps forward and fired another UAC 5 blast. The _Helios _made a move first, however, and its Gauss Rifle flung another metal slug into the warm evening air. The crowd oohed as the _Shadow Hawk _was knocked flat onto its back from the impact, fire blasting from its chest and armor shards scattering to the sands. Encouraged, the _Helios _hurried forward, breaking into a full run toward the vulnerable _Shadow Hawk_, no doubt intending to use its SRMs and lasers to finish the job.

The _Shadow Hawk _still lay on its back, squirming to get back up. Many of its inner myomers were visible, the cords stretching and contracting in the effort to get the 'mech back on its feet. The _Helios _came within knife range, lowering its Gauss Rifle arm and preparing its SRM launchers to finish off its foe.

At that moment, the _Shadow Hawk _sprang to its feet, its UAC 5 blasting into the _Helios_' left missile launcher. At the impact, the SRM launcher's internal ammo was breached, the missiles inside exploding like a box of fireworks. As the _Helios _reeled from the detonations, the _Shadow Hawk _thrust its right arm into the other 'mech's exposed innards and tugged on its internal systems, ripping out chunks of machinery and myomer bundles. Blasts of sparks and smoke leaked from the _Helios_' chest and the 60-ton 'mech collapsed, its legs wobbling. As soon as Carlos aimed his mech's guns at the _Helios _as a warning, Wen Liang ejected in his pod and the victory horn sounded.

"Tonight's winner is Carlos Vargas!" the announcer boomed as the audience went wild. "A clever feigned weakness brought his hapless opponent in for the kill!"

Both Cassandra and Lyla leaped to their feet, applauding and cheering. "That tricky bastard!" Lyla beamed. "Pretending to be all helpless..."

"Whatever he needed to win," Cassandra agreed over the crowd's roar. "That was great!"

The smoking _Shadow Hawk_'s fires finally died down, and the damaged 'mech gave the audience one final wave before lurching off toward the 'mech hangar. As she watched the _Shadow Hawk _walk away, Cassandra made a mental note to meet Carlos at the Vargas family mansion to congratulate him in person. She couldn't wait to see the victorious look on his face.


	6. Chapter 5 A Reckless Bet

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 5: A Reckless Bet**

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**July 7, 3075**_

"What? Do you guys mean to tell me that _no one _is available to help me with my project?"

Cassandra Goyua stomped one booted foot in frustration on the cluttered metal floor of the 'mech bay, the other Vargas Estate technicians going about their work. Over two dozen partly-repaired Battlemechs stood against the walls, most of them missing their armor plating while techs worked on their inner parts, sparks from welding tools flying through the air. One of the technicians, a man with short brown hair and one skull-shaped earring, shrugged helplessly. "What can I say, _senorita _Goyua? Like I told you, between the arena Battlemechs and the damaged 'mechs from the front lines, there is no one who can help with your side projects." He winced and briefly looked around before adding, "Some of us would _like _to help, but..."

"I just thought I'd get some helping hands," Cassandra added, trying not to let disappointment color her voice. "Lyla and I can only do so much together, and my friend Bellany Murcha is back home several systems away working at a Mechwarrior academy."

The technician tilted his head. _"Senorita_, how far into this project are you, anyway?"

Cassandra gave him a quick smile. "Come over here and see what I've got." She led the tech over to her work station, where several metal tables bore countless blueprints, tools, and mechanical odds and ends. Lyla Lister worked diligently nearby, the petite, dark-haired young woman tinkering with a large rocket booster prototype designed for Aerospace fighters. Cassandra led the tech to her table, where she picked up two particular blueprints with Battlemech designs on them. She offered them, and the tech looked them over.

"Brand... new Battlemechs?" the tech summarized with awe and excitement. "You and this Bellany Murcha designed these by yourselves? _Estoy impresionado!"_

"Well, these designs aren't fully ready yet. There's some kinks that need smoothing out, and there's no physical prototype to work on yet," Cassandra said earnestly. "For all I know, these 'mechs could be a total bust! I need physical copies to work with, and Korla is a great place to start. That's one reason I came here with the Arctic Wolves. My brother Kyle Goyua made sure I could get passage here."

The tech scratched the stubble on his jaw as he handed the blueprints back. "Well, you have no official ties to the Arctic Wolves and are therefore not sworn to Alfonso Vargas. If you want, you could take these designs to a neighboring nation as long as you promise Alfonso that these prototypes will not be used against him."

Cassandra hummed a little to herself as she reviewed her designs. The first 'mech was a small chicken-walker modeled after the Clan _Uller _'mech. Each of the 'mech's shoulders had a metal fin sporting one ER small pulse laser and an ER medium pulse laser, four lasers total. The arms ended in one SRM 4 launcher pod each, and the 'mech's squat body housed jump jets for better mobility. The tentative name was _Tomahawk_, abbreviated TMK.

The other 'mech was a sturdy man walker called the _Jouster_, or JST, a 70-ton Omnimech that used one ER PPC on each forearm for long-range hitting power, as well as a Clan-tech LRM 15 on the left torso for backup. Each wrist sported two ER medium lasers and the right torso had a Clan-tech SRM 6 for close-range foes. By Cassandra's reckoning, this 'mech was intended to fight at long range, then quickly charge the enemy and finish it off with short-range firepower, much like a jouster charging in for the final strike.

"Those two 'mechs look great, I'll say that much," the technician said tentatively, "but they will be expensive to make and Clan weapons aren't all that common, even here on Korla. Double heat sinks and ER lasers are fairly common, though. Are you sure you can do this?"

"Just watch." With a sudden jolt of confidence, Cassandra tossed her blueprints onto the table and tossed a lock of her brown hair, trotting to the center of the 'mech bay. She clapped her hands together twice sharply. The sound echoed through the 'mech bay and everyone paused their work, all eyes on Cassandra.

"I have a bet to make with all of you!" she announced. "Listen up: if Carlos Vargas wins this year's battle tournament, everyone here will devote as much of their spare time as they possibly can in order to build _Tomahawk _and _Jouster _prototypes. Only the duty of repairing 'mechs from the front lines will interfere with this work. And," she took a breath, "if I lose this wager, I'll personally give everyone here 500 C-Bills each from my personal bank account!"

There were a few seconds of silence, and then one tech peeked around from the damaged foot of a _Catapult _and declared, "You're on!" Other techs voiced their agreement, excited by the prospect. Cassandra smiled, pleased at the result.

"Are you sure about this?" Alphonse cautioned her, walking over from a missile-ravaged large laser sitting on a scaffold. His overalls were spotted with gear oil and lubricant. "There are other worlds where you can get this kind of work done for your prototypes, or even just the other nations' industry. This seems kind of reckless."

"Oh, have some fun already," Cassandra laughed, clapping a hand to Al's shoulder. "Carlos is a good fighter. I have confidence in him! Besides, it's best to stay here in the Vargas Estate to get my work done."

"I suppose," Alphonse said slowly. "Carlos did win his difficult first match, after all..."

"He's feeling pretty good about the rest of this tournament," Cassandra added. "He keeps telling me about how proud this will make his father. He also told me about the celebrations he has planned if he wins."

"If there's a party, will I be invited?" Al asked with a slight grin.

"I'm sure," Cassandra assured him. "Now, let's get back to work. Do you need any help with that laser over there? It looks pretty banged up..."

"Yeah, actually," Al admitted, leading Cassandra over to the waiting large laser. "I can't work out how to reconfigure the energy dampener coils."

Cassandra picked up a few tools and approached the large laser. "Watch carefully, my apprentice..."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Private office, Family Mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**July 12, 3075**_

"I presume, Mr. Vargas, that you have brought me here for a good reason?" asked Star Captain Abby, her voice slightly cold as she walked briskly into Alfonso Vargas' spacious office. She gently closed the polished oak double doors behind her, clicking the door latch into place and turning to face her war partner. The rotund but energetic Alfonso paced behind his desk, letting bright sunlight from the wide back window splash across his gray suit.

"Feel free to call me _senor_, Abby. It's a local custom," Mr. Vargas offered, but after seeing the impatient look on Abby's face, he gave up the idea. He clasped his hands behind his back. "It seems that you're getting rather friendly with my officers and support staff, more than you need to be."

"Meaning?" Abby asked, wondering if she was about to be threatened. _What does this greedy blob of a man want from me?_

Mr. Vargas walked over to a side table that bore a glass container of whiskey, bringing it to his desk. He motioned, and Abby approached him. "You're going out of your way to make sure that every one of my subordinates feels compelled to follow your every command, even my non-military personnel."

"Well," Abby said with a falsely innocent smile, "Being on friendly terms with your men will facilitate better relations and trust between them and me, will it not? They are still getting used to my high position of authority despite the fact that I have worked for you much shorter a time than them. I do not want them to resent me."

"A fair point," Mr. Vargas conceded, but he didn't sound entirely convinced. Still, he seemed relaxed as he retrieved two short drinking glasses, filling both with dark, amber-colored liquid. He offered one to Abby, who hesitated for a second before accepting the glass.

"Then there is no issue?" Abby asked, then took a cautious sip of the whiskey. It burned in her throat and she fought not to cough. _Stravag! What sort of drink is this?_

Mr. Vargas sighed heavily. "There is another issue: the Bhujorba Protectorate, which surrendered to us in May, is teeming with rebellion. The President of the Protectorate promised a peaceful surrender, but rebellious groups have formed and have obtained military-grade weapons, causing serious trouble for my men who are maintaining the Bhujorba Protectorate. Such dissent is slowing down my plans to unite the nations, so I took the necessary action."

Abby narrowed her eyes, setting her whiskey glass on a side table. "What do you mean?"

As an answer, Mr. Vargas sat in his desk's swivel chair, unfolding one of several screen panels and turning it on. "Watch," he said simply. Abby stood over his shoulder, watching a news report of Vargas Estate troops and vehicles violently putting down a rebel force in Bhujorba City. According to the newscast, hundreds of people were killed and many more injured, inflaming anti-Vargas Estate sentiments even more within the Protectorate.

"My Battlemechs might have to move in if this issue gets any worse," Alfonso Vargas stated, folding down the screen. "Thought you ought to know."

Abby stiffened. "I ought to more than just know. We agreed that my job is to lead your army and handle all military affairs! That was the deal: I lead your army to victory for you, and you give me the authority and command in your new world order that I have always wanted. But you took this police action without my knowledge."

"You had more pressing issues," Mr. Vargas pointed out. "The Alvarez County's forces and the Laurent Commonwealth's forces are becoming more aggressive, you know, and I need you to defend my cities, supply lines, and factories from their raids and assaults. The Bhujorba Protectorate was not your area of expertise."

"Mr. Vargas, I am the new military might of the Vargas Estate," Abby declared indignantly. "If I am not capable of dealing with petty rebels, as you suggest, then..."

Alfonso motioned with his hands. "I meant to insinuate no such thing."

"Fine." Abby clenched her fists. "But all the same, you are the economic and political might of the Estate while I am your sword and shield. Together we are a two-headed giant that will tame all of Korla, but how far will we go if one side does not fully trust and respect the other?"

Alfonso sighed. "If you wish to have the additional duty of policing conquered nations, then I will relegate that duty to you. If you so desire control and influence to this extent, Abby, I can accommodate. Know this, however: this is the _Vargas _Estate. No authority may come before mine, and I expect appropriate behavior from you and all my officers."

Abby dipped her head, although inside she raged against being treated like a war hound. "I understand. I will do nothing more to upset you or the status quo. I will do all I can to help you unite Korla under the Vargas banner."

Alfonso broke into a smile and downed the last of the whiskey in his glass, pouring himself some more. _"Muy bueno_. I look forward to seeing what else you can do, Abby. Good day."

Without another word, Abby stalked out of the office, securely closing the door behind her. She stood with her back to the door in the hallway, her heart hammering with anxiety. _This indulgent Alfonso Vargas is not tit to rule this world, but I am. He nearly caught me cultivating the favor of all of his men! I have to do this more carefully from now on. I need all of his subordinates loyal to me by the time I am ready to shift all the power to myself and my Trinary. _She realized something else that brought a smile to her lips. _I give myself too little credit. The other nations allied with the Vargas Estate do not know that my fellow Trinary warriors and I are formerly of the Wolf Clan! They think we are mercenaries, and this proves that I can handle other people on this world just fine. I must be careful that my secret is not revealed, however. Only Alfonso and his men can be trusted with my secret._

Abby recalled the face of Darien Kerensky, her sibkin who had shattered her ambitions of greatness in the Wolf Clan by flaunting his endless superiority to her. _Darien, wherever you may be now, I hope you see this on the news sometime. I will be the queen of this world and become more than you could ever dare to be!_

She retired to her personal chambers in a very good mood.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Guest Hall, Palais du Soleil, Laurent Commonwealth, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**July 14, 3075**_

Adjusting the rectangular glasses on his face, 23-year-old Leonardo Alvarez narrowed his eyes at the computer screen before him, the screen's tactical data reflecting off the lenses. His ear-length black hair fell in a tangle, still damp from a recent bath. His soft, dark gray robe felt good on his skin, but he ignored that comfort as something came to mind. "Hey, Miguel. Come look at this," he called out. From the other side of the luxurious room, his fraternal twin brother Miguel Alvarez hurried over this brother, still chewing on an expensive cherry tart.

"Wha ish ith?" Miguel asked curiously, his sharp eyes on the screen.

Leonardo made a face. "You've been eating those all night... and you've had massages and expensive wine all day..."

Miguel swallowed. "Well, Monsieur and Madame Laurent are happy to indulge us in their stuff, so why not? It would be rude to refuse their hospitality..."

Leonardo eased a small grin onto his face. "And if we keep that up, we'll grow fat and lazy like rich kids or something."

In fact, Miguel had a point: their room in the Laurent family's capital hall was lavish, with two large beds with soft silk sheets, a chandelier, a bathroom the size of small apartment rooms, a host of waiters at the brother's beck and call, and a wide range of windows that gave them a good view of the night terrain outside. Korla's large, pale moon hung in the inky sky, shining its light on the rippling dunes and crags beyond the mansion's grounds.

"Well, I guess," Miguel joked. "Still, what have you got?"

Typing a few buttons onto the keyboard, Leonardo showed an overhead view of the Vargas Estate, with every road, town, mine, and supply depot labeled. Miguel gave the screen a closer look. "Hey, it looks like the Vargas Estate city of Heldav is a little vulnerable."

"Right," Leonardo nodded, pointing out troop movement charts on the map. "See how our raid on that Vargas supply point drew away reinforcements? That was a good idea on your part, Miguel. That let our strike forces take this garrison, capturing enough supplies and personnel to recoup for losses back in March."

"And what's more," Miguel continued his brother's line of thought, "Without those reinforcements for the Vargas troops, our raids on Heldav's outer limits will do more permanent damage."

"And as long as we can take out the spotters for their Long Toms and Arrow IV's, our own artillery will soften up Heldav's defenses and we can split up the Vargas forces like this," Leonardo continued, showing predicted troop movements on the map. "Letting us launch repeated hit-and-runs, staying out of the range of Vargas Battlemechs and vehicles."

Miguel nodded. "And then the city is ours, once we add our Aerospace assets from that skirmish to the north. Over there."

"Yeah, I see them," Leonardo agreed. "Capturing Heldav will force Alfonso Vargas to move many more troops to retake the city at once, because losing that city means disrupted troop movement and supply lines that would cause his front line to crumble."

"And while he's busy taking back the city," Miguel added, "We pull out all troops in the city to prevent casualties on our part, then use our troops to capture several important mines and supply depots in the Vargas Estate. We'll _really _soften up Alfonso's army after that, and once we convince one or two more nations to join our cause..."

Leonardo reclined in his seat. "We capture the Vargas Estate and demand that we get our home back. The Alvarez County could finally belong to use again. Mom and dad would like that."

"Yeah." Miguel thought back on his and Leonardo's parents, the kind and forward-thinking rulers of the Alvarez County. Until Alfonso Vargas had decided that he owned all of Korla and invaded the County with his army, led by a capable but unseen commander. Now the orphan brothers became the rulers of the displaced Alvarez family. "Oh, and that reminds me of more good news. Something we really need."

Leonardo blinked. "What is it?"

A slow, sly grin crossed Miguel's face. "I finally cracked the secret behind the unseen commander leading the Vargas Estate forces! Can you believe it?"

Intrigued, Leonardo got to his feet. "What did your spies find?"

"There is a woman with Alfonso Vargas, and she ain't a concubine. Get this: she is an ex-Clanner! From the Wolf Clan, in fact. Her only given name is Abby."

Leonardo took a step back, amazed by his brother's intelligence network. "I hope you didn't lose too many men finding that out?"

"Not _too _many," Miguel said somewhat heavily, then brightened again. "They caught enough transmissions to piece together that this Abby woman arrived here before the Vargas Estate ever started conquering anybody. It might even have been _her_ idea to start gobbling up all the nations surrounding the Vargas Estate. She's got some Clanner buddies with her, but I don't know how many or what kind of vehicles they have. As far as I can tell by Alfonso's communications, the small nations allied with him don't know about Abby's true nature. She made herself look like a regular mercenary group to those other nations when she arrived on Korla, but probably confided her Clanner heritage to Alfonso once they became allies."

Leonardo drew a deep breath. "This really must have taken some time to work out."

"It did." Still, Miguel couldn't contain his excitement. "If we reveal this, the other nations could be better convinced to join our cause. Anti-Clan sentiment is strong in this neck of the Lyran Alliance. We both know that."

"Just a second." Holding up a hand to halt his brother, Leonardo took a second to work something out. "This is a big thing for Alfonso to hide from his allies. If the nations allied with the Vargas Estate found out, they'd turn against the Estate because of strong anti-Clanner sentiment in this part of the Lyran Alliance."

"Right, so we reveal it to them discreetly," Miguel encouraged Leonardo.

Shaking his head, Leonardo said, "The time isn't quite right. Our gambit to conquer Heldav as a ruse is a little risky and if done wrong, even revealing Abby's true nature won't help us against the Vargas Estate. I want to hang on to this info a little while longer and wait for a better time. Maybe after we've secured help from more nations, so the Vargas Estate has its allies turned against it when Abby's true nature is revealed. Then we could strike a decisive blow."

"Hmmmm. I guess so," Miguel conceded, rubbing his chin. "That just leaves the issue with all these skilled mercenaries Alfonso is hiring. Those guys are good, and we can't fully predict what they will do."

"Which merc gangs have joined up now?" Miguel asked.

"Recently, the Red Vikings have landed," Leonardo mentioned. "Plus the Screaming Skulls, Morgan's Marauders, and the Arctic Wolves. Yeah, it's _them_."

Leonardo clenched his fists. "The Arctic Wolves... Morgan's Marauders... those two gangs helped Alfonso conquer our realm, paving the way for acts of brutality to finalize the victory. I don't even want to think about how many of our countrymen died because the Arctic Wolves and Morgan's Marauders helped the Estate forces conquer our nation."

Miguel pursed his lips. "Those merc gangs didn't attack our civilians, but they might as well have. They helped Alfonso destroy our nation, and Alfonso's forces tore our country apart. And now they're back on Korla, fighting again."

"In that case, our next priority is clear," Leonardo declared. "Our plans for Heldav are already in motion. But after that, those Arctic Wolves and the Marauders will know what it feels like to be cornered and helpless."


	7. Chapter 6 Forged in Fire

**STEEL WOLF**

**A/N: **I have edited the last scene of chapter 5 concerning Abby hiding her Clanner nature. Now, Alfonso Vargas _does _know that Abby and her fellows are Clanners, but the nations allied with the Vargas Estate do now know this. The Alvarez brothers now plan to reveal Abby's true nature and intentions to the Estate's allies at some point in order to turn those nations against the Estate, since there is strong anti-Clanner sentiment on Korla. Alfonso and his men, however, don't hate Clanners.

**Chapter 6: Forged in Fire**

_**Outskirts, Heldav, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**July 24, 3075**_

The constant booms and whistles of Long Tom artillery rounds and Arrow IV missiles were already ringing in the air by the time the Arctic Wolves arrived on the front line around midday. Kyle Goyua eased forward the throttle of his _Shadow Cat_, swiftly walking his 'mech down the open ramp of the _Hunter's Insight _dropship that was parked on the dunes outside the silver-colored city. Kyle squinted at the sandy horizon, looking past the shimmering heat and mirages to get a grasp of what was going on. Beyond the Vargas Estate bunkers and fortified positions, countless scorched craters littered the dunes and rocky ground, evidence of the artillery exchanges between the defending forces and the Alvarez Country guerrilla invaders. Every few seconds, a new fiery explosion bloomed on the ground, creating another crater.

Nikolai's _Marauder _led the twelve Arctic Wolves Battlemechs across the battlefield, and his voice spoke clearly in the Vargas battle channel. "What's the situation, Colonel?"

Colonel Ruiz, the commander of Heldav's defense force, responded sharply. "We've been forced to give a lot of ground to the Alvarez forces. We had to give up some good flanking positions to the east, and our artillery spotters keep getting attacked. At this rate, only the Alvarez forces will have the ability to fire artillery with any accuracy. Report suggest that they have an airstrike coming in from the north, but that is yet to happen."

"Is the current line of defense holding?" Nikolai asked.

"It is," the Colonel responded firmly. "We outnumber their Battlemechs and vehicles nearly two to one, and our bunkers and fortifications are keeping the invaders back. But we can't cover the entire city's perimeter at once, and the superior maneuverability of the Alvarez forces will let them exploit our weaknesses sooner or later. We have to inflict maximum casualties on the Alvarez forces to disrupt their plans."

"Right." Nikolai trotted his 75-ton 'mech toward the other Vargas 'mechs and vehicles, and Kyle and the other Wolves stayed close behind him. Close by, a quartet of friendly Long Toms all fired one after the other, rattling the air with the sheer force of their shells. Four explosions blasted into the outlying desert, scattering the Alvarez Battlemechs out there. Countless Vargas Battlemechs and vehicles surged forward, sticking together in lances and companies to confront the Alvarez invaders. As Kyle watched, bright red lasers, streaks of Autocannon shells, and clusters of missiles flew back and forth in a stunning display amid the Long Tom explosions.

The heavier Vargas 'mechs often found themselves surrounded and pestered by speedier Alvarez 'mechs, and Kyle realized that all over the battlefield, the Alvarez forces could take down several Vargas 'mechs and slip away before taking return fire. Kyle activated his zoom and watched a stranded Vargas _Awesome _lumber around, its heavy armor smoking and chipped all over. A trio of 30-ton Alvarez _Razorback_s scurried onto the scene, stabbing the _Awesome _on its left leg with their large lasers. The hulking _Awesome _stumbled and swayed as the three deadly beams sliced through its armor, cutting apart its myomer muscles and inner metal bones. Before the _Awesome _could return fire with its PPC array, the three _Razorback_s quickly fled the scene, escaping the _Awesome_'s PPC range. Meanwhile, the _Awesome_ slumped limply to its side, collapsing on its left arm, crushing the limb into twisted steel and torn myomer muscles. The pilot of the 'mech streaked into the sky in his ejection pod, knowing better than to stay in his ruined machine.

"It's like this all over," Nikolai lamented, apparently watching the same _Awesome _that Kyle was. "All right, Wolves, here's the plan. Colonel Ruiz needs a heavy artillery barrage on sector D-7, but all spotter 'mechs went down and the Alvarez forces are quickly getting into flanking positions. The Alvarez guys are tearing apart the Vargas 'mechs from that position, taking no return fire due to their long-range weapons and superior speed. So, we're going to escort a few lances of spotter 'mechs into position so Ruiz gets his artillery barrage."

"Roger that," Samantha responded crisply, her _Marauder _turning to face the specified sector. Her voice took on a slightly playful and energetic tone. "So, Kyle... ready to dance?"

Kyle smiled. "Lead the way, Sam."

"You kids don't get cocky out there, you hear me?" Nikolai joked, but his _Marauder _walked toward sector D-7 with utter military precision. Along with him marched Thomas Jones' _Marauder_, equipped with primarily SRM's and medium lasers. Near Thomas' 'mech walked Fury's humanoid _Atlas_, another 'mech designed for medium to short range combat with an array of ballistic weaponry. Kyle and Samantha, meanwhile, would make sure that their Gauss Rifles would soften up the enemy from a safe distance.

A new, accented voice entered the comm. "Arctic Wolves, this is Hector Derosi, commander of the new spotter team. My men are prepped and ready to go. Cover us."

"Understood," Nikolai told him. Up ahead stood twelve light 'mechs, mainly _Stinger _and _Wasp _designs. The twelve light 'mechs broke out into a brisk trot toward sector D-7, going slowly enough so that the Arctic Wolves' heavier machines could keep pace. Kyle kept his fingers tense on his joysticks' firing buttons, feeling nervous sweat bead on his chest and face.

A sudden blast rocked Kyle's _Shadow Cat_, throwing the 45-tonner to the right. Kyle wrenched his joysticks the opposite way, forcing his 'mech back into balance before it crashed into the sand. The damage screen indicated that five LRM's had exploded against his left torso, chipping away a little armor. His heart suddenly hammering, Kyle twisted his torso to the left and spotted a cluster of Alvarez 'mechs and vehicles moving to intercept the Wolves convoy, mainly medium 'mechs and various tanks. Several _Bushwackers _led the way, their LRM 5's and large lasers slashing apart the Arctic Wolves' armor bit by bit. The Wolves' 'mechs turned to fire back, PPC's filling the air. Spotting the bright blue PPC beams from afar, the Alvarez 'mechs scattered and fell back, letting the beams pass harmlessly past.

Annoyed, Kyle slipped his crosshairs onto one enemy _Bushwacker _and mashed his thumb on his firing stud. His 'mech jerked back from the recoil, but Kyle grinned in satisfaction as his Gauss slug flashed through the air in a blur, and then the _Bushwacker _reeled back from the slug's impact. Armor chunks flew off the _Bushwacker_'s torso, scattering onto the battle-churned dunes. Even better, a hideous impact dent on the _Bushwacker_'s torso, throwing the 55-tonner off balance. Samantha raised her _Marauder_'s twin arm pods into position and her 'mech spat out twin Light Gauss Rifle slugs. One shot through empty air while the other slammed into the _Bushwacker_, punching into the dent Kyle had created. This time, the _Bushwacker _lost its balance, its legs scuffing uselessly on the dunes. The 'mech flopped flat onto its back, and heavy missile fire from nearby Vargas 'mechs destroyed the _Bushwacker_ for good.

Nikolai's _Marauder _moved to block a pair of Alvarez _Centurion_s from attacking the spotter 'mechs, and his 'mech's left PPC tore into one _Centurion_, frying its center torso armor. Two seconds later, Nikolai's right PPC lit up, the sizzling blue lightning slashing even more armor from the _Centurion_. Acting fast, Nikolai triggered his top-mounted Autocannon 5, peppering the _Centurion _yet again, this time with ballistic shells. Flakes of scorched armor scattered from the injured _Centurion_'s chest, exposing delicate inner machinery.

However, the Alvarez fighters were far from finished. The other _Centurion _slipped to the side, easily evading PPC beams from other Arctic Wolves. Getting revenge for its lancemate, the _Centurion _hammered Nikolai's _Marauder _with its LRM 10 and Autocannon 10, blasting chunks of armor plating from the left torso. Nikolai's lumbering 'mech ambled to the side, but the large Battlemech was too slow: a large laser from an Alvarez _Bushwacker _sliced into Nikolai's _Marauder_'s right leg, melting layers of metal off the limb.

Then, a pair of large Alvarez tanks rolled onto the scene, their bulky, heavily-armored hulls giving Kyle the chills. He recognized them as _Challenger _tanks, each armed with a Gauss Rifle, LBX-10 Autocannon, and LRM 10 as their primary firepower along with other small weapons. The _Challenger_s aimed their turrets and let loose, their Gauss slugs wreaking havoc. One slug smashed into a Vargas _Wasp_, shearing off its left leg in one blow. The hapless light 'mech toppled to the ground like a drunkard, tumbling down a dune. Another Gauss slug pummeled the left torso of Fury's _Atlas_, shattering the armor like glass. The _Atlas _regained its balance a few seconds later, however, its armor far from depleted.

"Get it together, Wolves! Don't let them destroy any more spotter 'mechs!" Nikolai growled as sis PPC beam narrowly missed an Alvarez _Razorback. _Meanwhile, an Arctic Wolves _Griffin _landed a solid blow with its LRM 10, pushing back an Alvarez _Bushwacker _in a burst of flames. Samantha's Light Gauss slugs smashed apart the nose armor on the the _Challenger _tanks, but the huge vehicles easily withstood the blows and rolled closer, returning fire with a vengeance.

One tank's LBX-10 burst shredded the armor on Samantha's _Marauder_'s right arm, throwing the 'mech off-balance and exposing the limb's inner systems. Aggravated by his girlfriend's plight, Kyle stomped into position with his _Shadow Cat_, aiming his reticule on the _Challenger_. Before he could fire, however, an Alvarez _Trebuchet_'s LRM's exploded across Kyle's 'mech, blinding him with fire and smoke. Kyle strained against the controls again, his stomach lurching as his _Shadow Cat _rocked back on its feet, and he was painfully aware of how much armor he had just lost. _Damn it... can't afford to fall down! Stay with me, 'mech!_

"I've got you, Kyle," Thomas Jones' reassuring voice said on the comm. Kyle heard a 'mech stomp around close by, and then the sound of dozens of missiles being launched filled the air. Kyle forced his 'mech back out into open air, watching Thomas' SRM's streaking through the air. The missiles caught a nearby enemy _Razorback_, throwing the 'mech onto its back and blasting away its torso armor in a surge of flames. The other Alvarez 'mechs backed off, and Kyle shook his head to clear it, lining up his reticule once again. His Gauss Rifle spat out another metallic slug, and Kyle felt a thrill of elation when his slug tore into one _Challenger_, adding to the damage Samantha had dealt earlier. An internal explosion rocked the heavy tank, blowing its LRM 10 launcher out of commission. Smoke leaked from the gaps in the tank's hull, but the huge vehicle wasn't done it. Its Gauss Rifle slug pounded into Thomas' _Marauder_, tearing away armor from the 'mech's left torso.

"Damn it," Thomas muttered as he pulled back, unable to return fire from this range. Kyle pushed up on his 'mech's throttle, trotting into a new position on the battlefield. As he went, another Vargas spotter 'mech, a _Stinger_, vanished in a fireball of LRM's launched from Alvarez forces.

"Keep it together, folks!" Nikolai demanded as the Alvarez 'mechs wore down the Arctic Wolves and spotter 'mechs with their relentless hit-and-run tactics, dealing heavy damage while taking little in return. At some point, Nikolai simply turned his guns away from the slippery enemy 'mechs, instead turning to face the twin _Challenger _tanks. One PPC beam from his 'mech slashed into the more heavily-damaged _Challenger_, the energy bolt adding to the damage that Kyle and Samantha's Gauss Rifles had dealt. The tank rolled back as fire and smoke leaked from its wound, its turret spinning like crazy. Nikolai's second PPC raked the _Challenger_, triggering even more internal explosions. The tank's armor plates fell off in flaming chunks, the tank's crewmen frantically scrambling out the hatch before the vehicle fell apart entirely.

"Enemy airstrike incoming!" Colonel Ruiz's voice boomed on the Vargas battle channel.

"We'll cover the north flank, sir!" reported the _Rifleman_-heavy anti-air Vargas unit.

"Negative! Change to the west flank!" Ruiz snapped back. "We broke into Alvarez battle channels and they're changing their assault vectors, trying to catch us by surprise. I repeat, cover the west flank! Now!"

Kyle's Gauss Rifle slug punched into an enemy _Razorback_'s thigh, throwing the 30-tonner off its feet and sending it tumbling down a dune. However, he still checked the west vector, hoping that the incoming Alvarez airstrike wouldn't hit the Arctic Wolves. He could already hear the roar of the enemy Aerospace fighters as they arrived on the battlefield.

The Alvarez airstrike came from the north.

Kyle winced as the Vargas battle channel was flooded with confused shouts and status updates. Six _Lucifer _fighters roared across the fields, unloading their LRM 20's and large lasers all over the Vargas forces. Multiple Vargas 'mechs and tanks toppled and burned part from the barrage, and none of the Vargas forces were able to fire back. The _Lucifer_s soared away before they could take return fire, and the Vargas AA 'mech lances stood dumbly in the western area, unsure what to do.

Unable to help himself, Nikolai tapped into the comm. "Colonel, this is Nikolai Kerensky of the Arctic Wolves. I thought you said the airstrike was coming from the north?"

"Watch your tone, Arctic Wolf," the Colonel barked impatiently. "I am just as surprised as you are right now. The Alvarez comms were cleanly hacked into, and their officers clearly ordered an airstrike to the north!"

"May I hear it?"

"Fine, for all the good it will do you." A few seconds later, a recorded message played out on the Arctic Wolves' comms. _"This is General Dupont. Bomber team, you will redirect your airstrike to the west. The Vargas forces will never see that coming."_

"Sounds legit to me," Samantha commented. "How did the Alvarez bombers know to change direction? Or did they disobey orders?"

Nikolai huffed. "It's not our problem. We just have to survive this weirdness. But the Alvarez forces' range is still a problem." The words had barely left his mouth when the Alvarez forces came back in force, with multiple _Razorback_s, _Bushwacker_s, and _Centurion_s raining fire on the Wolves. Kyle and the others dodged as best they could, but the Alvarez 'mechs clearly gained the upper hand. Already, two Wolves _Marauder_s and the _Griffin _went down, and the surviving 'mechs were all in bad shape. "We could really use a short-range battle here!"

"I can help you with that, Nikolai," came a breathless but cheerful voice.

Kyle recognized that voice as belonging to Morgan Wynne, the commander of the Morgan's Marauders mercenary company. He watched as twelve mercenary 'mechs came up from behind the Alvarez 'mechs, hammering them with fire. Caught off-guard, the Alvarez 'mechs backed away from the Marauders, but that moved them much closer to the Arctic Wolves.

"Now! Pulverize them!" Nikolai boomed. His PPC's and Autocannon 5 sliced into an enemy _Bushwacker_, shearing off its left arm. Fury's _Atlas _marched straight toward an enemy _Razorback_, raising all guns to fire. The deadly Autocannon 20 mounted in the 'mech's left torso roared to life, its shells ripping into the _Razorback_'s thin torso armor like a hungry shark. The _Razorback_ stumbled and reeled from the sheer kinetic force, fighting to stay balanced. Showing no mercy, Fury raised his 'mech's arms and both arm-mounted LBX-10 Autocannons blazed fire Twenty LBX cluster shells showered the _Razorback_, obliterating its armor and inner machinery. The blazing 'mech slumped in a confused heap, its legs bending and twisting under the pressure as the 'mech collapsed.

Thomas Jones' SRM's pummeled an Alvarez _Bushwacker_, blasting off the 'mech's arm and destroying its shoulder-mounted LRM 5 launcher. Before the _Bushwacker _could react, Samantha's _Marauder _cut loose with a fierce, close-range medium laser barrage that sliced apart the injured _Bushwacker_. The 55-ton Alvarez 'mech fell to pieces, its pilot barely ejecting in time. A badly-damaged enemy _Centurion _wandered close to Kyle, and Kyle took careful aim, finishing off the _Centurion _with his three ER medium lasers.

The remaining Alvarez vehicles and 'mechs in the area slipped away to regroup with the rest of the Alvarez army, leaving the Arctic Wolves standing with Morgan's Marauders. "We owe you one," Nikolai said on the comm. "Good work."

"It was nothing," Morgan said cheerily, waving her _Rifleman_'s arms. "You guys were fighting well, but too many Alvarez guys were surrounding you. We need those spotter 'mechs in position, so my men came to help." The various _Warhammer_, _Rifleman_, and _Catapult _'mechs of Morgan's Marauders marched over to the remaining spotter 'mechs, offering protection. Nikolai assumed the lead, and he led the entire convoy closer to sector D-7 for the artillery strike.

"Enemy bombardment incoming!" Samantha noted, noticing the _Lucifer _fighters approaching from the east. This time, however, eight more Aerospace fighters roared onto the scene, propelled by the booster pods developed by Lyla Lister. Four _Rapier _fighters and four _Stingray _fighters bearing the Arctic Wolves logo intercepted the six Alvarez fighters, showering them with LRM, MRM, and large laser fire. Three _Lucifer _planes erupted in flames, spiraling down toward the dunes and crashing to the earth. Quick on the upkeep, the five remaining _Lucifer _returned fire, focusing it expertly. Two of the Wolves' _Rapier_ fighters, overwhelmed by LRM and large laser fire, blew apart in chunks and the pieces rained down on the battlefield. The _Lucifer_s roared past the surviving Wolf fighters, intending to turn around and make another pass.

Colonel Ruiz came onto the comm. "AA lances, take out those enemy fighters! Support the Arctic Wolves' aerial assets!"

Kyle watched in glee as the Vargas _Rifleman _lances opened fire with their large lasers and Autocannons, showering the _Lucifer_s in firepower once the _Lucifer _planes made their return strike. Two more _Lucifer_s succumbed to the combined fire of the AA lances and the Arctic Wolf fighters, and realizing that they couldn't escape, the three last _Lucifer _planes simply focused their fire again. Their combined LRM's and lasers sliced apart one Arctic Wolves _Stingray_, shearing it in half. The _Stingray_'s two halves fell to the earth, smashing into the dunes. Then the last three _Lucifer_s went down, their armor torn apart by the combined fire of the AA lances and Wolves fighters.

"We're here!" Morgan announced at last. Kyle checked his radar and confirmed that this was sector D-7, and from here, the ten surviving spotter 'mechs had a clear view of the Alvarez flank.

"Thanks for the escort. We'll take it from here," the commander of the spotter team announced. The _Stinger _and _Wasp _'mechs trotted into their positions, their TAG lasers painting key Alvarez 'mechs. The Arctic Wolves and Morgan's Marauders all backed up, knowing what was coming. Twenty or so seconds later, nearly a dozen Long Tom artillery shells arced through the air, whistling like angry banshees. Then, the very earth erupted in a roiling pit of fire as the shells landed. Dozens of Alvarez 'mechs, vehicles, and infantry platoons vanished in the inferno, taking a lot of pressure off the tattered Vargas defenders. Before a second artillery strike could be called in, the surviving Alvarez forces turned tail and fled, their superior speed quickly putting them out of the range of the Vargas forces' guns. A ringing silence fell over the battlefield as both sides ceased fire from all 'mechs, vehicles, and artillery.

"That's it, men. They're in total retreat. Fall back and regroup at the fortifications," Colonel Ruiz announced crisply. "We've done it. Heldav remains ours. Those Alvarez bastards got what they deserved."

"Do you need us to reinforce the city for now, Colonel?" Nikolai asked, referring to his Wolves.

"Affirmative. Arctic Wolves, Morgan's Marauders, I need you all to keep the city secure for a while. Further details pending," Ruiz told them heavily. "Do you realize that we were nearly beaten by a force only half the size of ours? Pound for pound, the Alvarez army dealt 2.56 times as much damage as ours did. We don't yet have a good counter for their superior range, speed, and intelligence. But we're working on it."

Kyle felt his stomach knot. _This is pretty tense, _he thought. _How long and bitter is this war going to be from here on out? Us Wolves are good, but this is going to be a real test of our mettle. _A thought occurred to him and he grinned as he followed the rest of the Wolves and Morgan's Marauders back to Heldav's city limits. _Then again, the sharpest swords are forged in the hottest fire._


	8. Chapter 7 Storm Clouds

**STEEL WOLF**

**A/N: **The legal drinking age on Korla is 18.

**Chapter 7: Storm Clouds**

_**Family Mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 8, 3075**_

"You know, I think I read about something like this in an old book once," Alphonse Delarosa commented a little too loudly to his assembled friends in one of the large gathering rooms of the Vargas family mansion. A festive party was well underway this evening, and hundreds of well-dressed men and women from all over the Estate chatted, laughed, gambled, listened to the orchestra in the amphitheater, danced in the ballroom, and shared all kinds of stories over martinis and champagne. Alphonse, for one, occupied a stool at the well-stocked bar on the first floor and was already feeling a little dizzy, and his expensive white suit felt a little warm for some reason.

One of his new friends, a dark-haired young man named Luis, leaned forward slightly to listen to Al over the general chatter. He held a Scotch tightly in his hand. "Oh yeah?" he asked with a lopsided grin. "What book would that be?"

"Ummm..." Alphonse leaned back, tilting his head up at the ceiling in thought. "It was by some guy way back in the 1920's who... well... wrote about a character who threw big parties like this one!"

"As long as they had the good stuff," Luis grinned, downing his Scotch and wincing slightly at the strong burn of alcohol. He set the glass on the glowing counter and motioned for a refill.

Another guy named Ben snapped his fingers. "The Great Gatsby!" he realized. "About the man who had all these chicks but his life ended up badly. People died."

"Sucks for him," Luis joked, downing another cold Scotch. "Hey, Alphonse... speaking of chicks, isn't that Cassandra girl here somewhere?"

Suddenly feeling deflated, Alphonse leaned against the counter, resting his elbow on the surface and his chin on his open hand. "Yeah, she is... with Carlos Vargas."

"Sucks for you," Luis offered another grin.

"You've been saying crap like that all night," Ben criticized.

"Ehhh... yeah," Luis waved a dismissive hand. "Listen, Alphonse, man... you can't let this get you down."

Alphonse sat up again, his head feeling light. "But I already said that Cassandra is with..."

"Women love confidence, man," Luis interrupted firmly, pointing a finger at Al. "You act all mopey and timid, and you'll be stuck like this forever! You're gonna let Carlos strut along with the lady you like?"

Although Cassandra and Carlos were elsewhere in this huge mansion, Alphonse could imagine the both of them enjoying each other's company the whole night without even mentioning Al's name. He thought of Cassandra's light and cheerful smile and laugh, the way she would sometimes toss a lock of her brown hair, the way she talked enthusiastically about her work with that fire in her eyes...

"You there?" Luis snapped his fingers, jolting Al out of his reverie.

"Yeah, I'm here," Al nodded, leaning against the counter with a sigh. "But come on, what are my chances? Even if Cassie were to break up with Carlos soon for some reason..." He made a small laugh. "Oh, forget it. Self-pity isn't my style, and I have to respect what Cassandra wants. Things will play out as they should."

"Unless..." Luis grinned and shook Al's shoulder, "you take control! Make Cassandra want you! Fits your argument!"

Al's eyes widened. "Does it really?"

"Oh, this is stupid," Ben grumbled, getting up off his stool and wandering off.

Luis ignored Ben's comment and continued, "Take my advice, man. Cassandra liked Carlos right now, but face it, man, Carlos just coasts on his dad's wealth. You, you've got a passion for what you do, even if you're still learning the ropes and Cassandra sees you as her student. Throw yourself out there and make her like you more than she likes Carlos!"

"Well..." Alphonse tilted his head, weighing his options. "I _do _have spirit, but Carlos and Cassie have been going steady and by what I hear, they hit it right off when they met in 3074. That's a lot to go up against."

"Makes the victory all the sweeter, then," Luis added, thumping Al's back. "So are you going to let Carlos lord it over you, or are you going to throw that brat off the stage?"

Al's heart hammered with excitement and he bolted to his feet, adjusting his suit's blue bow tie. "It's showtime," he declared. "Get front-row seats, Luis, 'cause Alphonse Delarosa is taking center stage!"

*o*o*o*o*

"So, that is General Abby," Nikolai mused with appreciation as he and Alfonso Delarosa stood in one corner of the main hall. Not too far away, a somewhat tall woman with shoulder-length brown hair and sharp gray eyes stood among a few of the Vargas Estate officers, reluctantly engaging them in conversation. Even the strapless dark blue gown she wore and the silver bangles on her wrists didn't rob Abby of her strict, almost robotic military grace and posture.

Alfonso raised his champagne glass, the honey-colored liquid bubbling steadily. "_Si_, that is her, my finest commander. A bit overly formal, if you ask me, but her resolve and cleverness know no bounds. Why, it was her who avoided a fiasco with Heldav."

"Mmmmmm." Nikolai took a sip of his glass of red wine. "According to reports, Abby thinks that the Alvarez guys wanted to capture Heldav and force us to commit a large force to retake it. During that time, our supply depots and factories would be left nearly undefended, letting Alvarez forces easily rob them or destroy them. We'd be in serious trouble in that case."

Alfonso took a quick sip of his glass. "Right you are, Nikolai, but Abby made sure that we kept the city. What's more, spreading out our forces kept my strategic locations safe. The Alvarez forces made only minimal raids and made off with only marginal amounts of ammunition and supplies." He chuckled, cracking a smile. "Oh, listen to me, talking tactics during this important night! That can wait for another time."

"How did you convince Abby to join the party?" Nikolai blurted.

Alfonso laughed easily. "After persuading her that attending this party will enhance her good standing with the other officers and make her more personable and popular. She seemed skeptical at first, but it seems that she is not quite an expert in _all _affairs of command. I think this is good for her."

"Smart," Nikolai nodded.

Alfonso checked his watch. "Ah, it's time for my speech..."

Nikolai hung back as Alfonso took his place at a podium and declared, "My good guests, it is my honor to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Vargas Estate's founding!" A small crowd gathered as he added, "My ancestor Juan Vargas, a prospector, arrived on this world on August 8th, 2875, and established a mining colony to harvest the abundant metal ores and within 10 years, over two million people lived here. Being on the verge of the Periphery, House Steiner paid minimal heed until this world had already come to support a vibrant economy and rich culture of Spanish and French immigrants from many different worlds..."

Alfonso went on about the independence and power of Korla, but Nikolai yawned and tuned it out, honestly feeling a little drowsy. Instead he approached General Abby as the other Vargas officers departed. "Having a good evening?" Nikolai asked kindly.

Abby made a face. "Fine enough," she answered reluctantly. She glanced away. "But I do not belong here. I have never been to a party in my life. I was almost _born _for the military life. You know what it is like to serve under me."

"Yup, your defense of Heldav was most impressive," Nikolai nodded. "Put a boot right in the Alvarez County's ass! But come on, you know that if people don't take a break, they wear themselves out..."

Abby's eyebrows met. "I do not need your coddling, mercenary."

"Whoa, whoa!" Nikolai backed up a step, gesturing with his open hands. "Just being friendly. After our recent successes, I thought you'd be in a good mood."

"Perhaps." Abby fiddled with one of her bangles. "But it not yet time to celebrate victory. The Alvarez County's allies are committing more forces to a possible new assault. Where, I am not yet certain. I need all of you mercenaries to do your jobs fully. Understand?"

Nikolai chuckled. "Sheesh, lighten up. I've never heard anyone talk so tensely! You're like some damned Clanner, marching around in a uniform 24/7 and grinding up lesser foes just for fun."

Despite herself, Abby admitted a quick chuckle in return. "You're insistent," she commented, then her face fell. "Very well. I will see if there's any pleasant entertainment to be found at this party. Given the excessive wealth of Alfonso Vargas, there is bound to be."

"Now you're talking," Nikolai smiled as Abby made her way through the crowd. Inwardly, he shivered. _I've never met a harder woman... or any person quite like her. What kind of neighborhood did _she _grow up in, anyway? Maybe Alfonso knows where she came from, but I guess it's not my business to know. He keeps many secrets among himself and his officers. Whatever._

"Having fun?" asked a lively voice, and Nikolai whirled to behold the red-headed, youthful Morgan Wynne approaching him. Her bright red hair contrasted with the emerald-green gown she wore, but the cheery smile on her face was what caught Nikolai's attention.

"I... yeah, whatever. Just trying to pry a little humanity loose from General Abby," Nikolai shrugged, shoving his hands into his black suit's pockets. "You'd think she never had a fun day in her life."

"Yeah, some people are like that. I'll never really understand them," Morgan agreed, sidling up next to Nikolai and playing with a lock of her hair. "So boring."

"Well, the present company is a bit of an upgrade..." Nikolai grinned.

"I'd hope!" Morgan laughed, tossing her hair a little. "Oh, and did you hear about the Bhujorba Protectorate? Awful news..."

A cold feeling settled in Nikolai's stomach. "Oh yeah, that. Another riot and an even more violent Vargas military response. It's looking like a police state over there."

"Alfonso is going rather far to keep his holdings in check," Morgan commented fearfully. "I don't like it."

"Makes me wonder if it's Alfonso's idea of Abby's," Nikolai admitted. "I can't tell which of them controls what anymore in the Estate. It's almost like they're jockeying for control."

Morgan pursed her lips. "Now that's really scary," she trembled. "Storm clouds are gathering, Nikolai. I don't think we've seen the worst of this yet."

"Well, this planet could use a good rainfall..." Nikolai smiled again.

A quick swat on Nikolai's arm shushed him. "Come on," Morgan persisted, but she couldn't help an amused smile. "Let's just watch our backs, okay? No telling what could happen next. Even being surrounded by all this wealth and luxury won't make me forget the intensity of what we're dealing with."

"The alcohol can help..."

"Oh, whatever," Morgan smiled fully. "I'll see you around. Try not to get into trouble, now." Like Abby, she melded into the crowd, her vivid red hair vanishing from Nikolai's sight.

Clad in her deep purple gown, Lyla Lister wandered up to Nikolai's side and gave him a quick kiss. "Having fun with the sassy redhead, Nikolai?" Samantha tagged along, curious.

"I wouldn't put it _that _way," Nikolai defended himself, taking his girlfriend's hand. "She was just chatting it up." _I think._

"Oh, no she wasn't," Lyla waved a knowing finger. "She totally likes you. Super obvious."

Nikolai scratched his head. "Was she?"

"Clueless," Lyla teased him, leading Nikolai through the crowd by his hand. "Come on. Let's see if the symphony is finally playing a good song."

*o*o*o*o*

"You used to be a farm kid?" asked one young lady, and Kyle Goyua paused partway through the conversation between her and Kyle.

"Um, yeah, I used to be..." Kyle mumbled.

Cassandra elbowed her brother. "Come on, don't falter! You're still introducing yourself. Keep going!"

Kyle cleared his throat, hoping that no one was staring at him. The young lady and her friends smiled, encouraging Kyle a little. He plowed on, "and believe it or not, my sister and I salvaged an old Battlemech by ourselves! Was a lot of hard work, but we did it. I've kept it ever since."

"Wow!" another girl's eyes widened. "You must be so smart, Kyle!"

"I, um... kind of... it was mostly Cassandra..." Kyle muttered, lowering his gaze. He recoiled when his sister elbowed him again, so he added, "but I do the piloting. I served with the Striking Tigers battalion before joining the Arctic Wolves to be with Samantha."

One of the girls looked slightly crestfallen. "Oh, you already have a girlfriend?"

"Somewhere," Kyle commented, scanning the crowded room. "I think she went to talk to Nikolai, my boss, along with Lyla. I can't see them."

"Well, when she gets back, I'm asking her permission to dance with you at least once in the ball room," the first girl declared, tossing her dark hair. "Would she go for that?"

"I... think..." Kyle mumbled, looking away again. Making an exasperated noise, Cassandra pulled Kyle away from the girls and into the crowd near a table laden with food.

Cassandra put her hands on her hips, an amused smile on her face. "You still can't get over it, can you?"

"What, my crowd-shyness?" Kyle defended himself. "I think I'm getting better."

"One tiny bit at a time," his sister retorted lightly. "But now that I think about it, you haven't danced with Samantha yet. Maybe you should do that first before moving on to one of those other girls."

"That sounds about right. Whenever the heck I find Samantha again, that is..."

Cassandra scoped out the room. "And wherever _Carlos _is, too." She suddenly smiled. "Oh. Hi, Al!"

With an equally wide smile, Alphonse emerged from the crowd, his hair a little tussled. "Evening, Cassie. How are you?"

"Just coaching my brother," Cassandra joked. "His shyness still needs work."

"You don't have to blab that," Kyle protested.

"So, are you having fun too?" Cassandra asked kindly. "I hope that Lyla hasn't been pestering you."

"Nah, I haven't seen her anywhere," Alphonse realized. "But I'm not concerned about her. Say, the ball is still going. Care to dance?"

Cassandra giggled. "Thanks, but I meant to go find Carlos. Not sure where he wandered off to. Jeez, this is an easy party to lose people in..."

While Kyle wandered off to find Samantha, Alphonse straightened his tie with a warm grin and offered, "Just one dance, maybe a quick one? I can show you a few moves! My dad used to throw parties like this one for the families of his business partners. I always had to attend."

"Well, maybe you can help me find Carlos, and you can show him too!" Cassandra suggested. "He could use a few lessons, but he's willing to learn just about anything."

A thought crossed Alphonse's mind. "Nah, forget him. He's a little boring, don't you think? Nothing but arena training and coasting on his dad's wealth."

Cassandra's smile fell and her eyebrows went up. "What? This coming from the guy with a billionaire father?"

"No no, that's different!" Alphonse gestured quickly with his hands. "I'm trying to make my own fortune here. I gave up college football to pursue mechanics, my second passion, and travel with you to learn about it."

"I see... and how is that relevant?"

"I can be a lot more fun than Carlos," Al encouraged her. "I've always been meaning to tell you that. You can do better than..."

"Okay, stop." Cassandra waved a hand, shaking her head. "Maybe you've had too much to drink at the bar, but I won't have you talk that way about Carlos."

"But..."

Cassandra folded her arms, pursing her lips. "Yes, I admire your resolve to make your own fortune without relying on your dad's wealth. I love having you as my trainee! But your little flirting game isn't cute, Al. You're not my boyfriend. Carlos is, and I like being with him."

Alphonse sputtered, "But... no! I mean, who knows, I could turn out to be a much better boyfriend than Carlos, since I..."

"I told you to stop it!" Cassandra barked, losing her patience. She suddenly felt warm and her heart hammered with irritation. "Did someone talk you into this? One of those loony guys you were hanging out with at the bar?"

"They're nice guys!" Al snapped back. "They..."

"Whoa whoa, folks. Is there a problem?" Clad in a dark gray suit and red tie, Carlos Vargas walked over, his expression bewildered.

Cassandra pointed at Al. "Have him go home. He's had too much to drink and isn't being himself. And he's trying to steal me from you."

"Hey! No, that's not true," Al argued, but his voice faltered as he realized what he had done.

Carlos kept his voice even. "Come on, Al, I think you've had enough fun tonight. Thanks for attending, but I can't have disruptive guests here."

"I... fine," Al muttered, turning and sauntering off. He didn't speak to anyone as he marched to the front door and climbed into one of several taxi cabs, and made sure to splash his face with rather cold water when he got back to his quarters in the tech's dorms near Mech Bay 01. _What the hell was all that? _he scolded himself as he crawled into bed, his head feeling thick. _Damn that Luis and his "advice"..._


	9. Chapter 8 Spring the Trap

**STEEL WOLF**

**A/N: **This chapter features a custom weapon called the ER large electrolaser developed by **Xandre**. A full technical read-out will be listed at the end of the chapter.

**Chapter 8: Spring the Trap**

_**Guest Hall, Palais du Soleil, Laurent Commonwealth, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 9, 3075**_

"Did you call for me, sirs?" asked the female officer who stood at attention in the quarters of Leonardo and Miguel Alvarez. Although she wore the uniform of the Laurent Commonwealth, she and several other Commonwealth officers had been assigned to the Alvarez brothers to help them manage the Alvarez County army stationed here in the Commonwealth.

"Yes, we did," Leonardo told her, adjusting his glasses as he handed her a file stuffed with papers. "We've been tracking the Vargas Estate's troop movements and they are making a few sweeps around the Estate-County border, mostly with the mercenary gangs Alfonso Vargas hired. My brother and I developed a plan to deal with that, and it's all here in the file. Get it to our commanders in the tactical room, all right?"

The officer accepted the file, saluting snappily. "At once, sirs."

Miguel, the younger brother, walked up to the officer, rubbing his hands together. "It's easy to predict what the mercenary scouts are looking for, and that makes it possible to determine where they will go and when, to put it simply. So, we use our fast-moving forces to herd the mercenary scouts into pre-determined positions and set up a trap to capture them. Those two gangs were there during the 3074 invasion, helping Alfonso Vargas brutally conquer the County. They won't get away this time."

A tangible sour note had entered Miguel's voice, and Leonardo winced slightly as the officer made an alarmed expression. "Listen, we've got everything under control," Leonardo assured the officer. "You must understand that my brother and I remember every day how our nation had been pillaged and ravaged by the Vargas Estate forces. Capturing these mercenaries... will be an asset in more ways than one."

The officer nodded a little nervously. "Very good, sirs. I will deliver this briefing at once." She whirled around and trotted out of the room, snapping the door tightly closed behind her.

Leonardo turned to his brother. "It will happen in just a few days, right?"

Miguel folded his arms. "It will."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 11, 3075**_

Despite the towering Battlemechs that stood against the walls of the 'mech bay amid scaffolding and supply trucks, Alphonse felt more intimidated by the reprisal he would face from Cassandra as he strode through the spacious 'mech bay. He had not seen her since the party at the Vargas family mansion, and as he approached Cassandra, who was tinkering with an engine part at a workbench, he swallowed hard and tried not to clench his fists. _She's still __angry. Just speak gently and be mature. That's what she wants._

"Juan, I said to get me _two _of these," Cassandra reminded a tech who delivered to her a 'mech gyro part, and the tech whirled around and stomped off to get another one. Approaching Cassandra from the side, Al put his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat.

"I, uh... hello. Just reporting for work," Al began. "I'm not late, am I?"

Cassandra, who had been hunching over her work, stood up and turned to face Al with a small smile. "Oh. Morning. No, you're not late. Just in time, really."

"Great." Al mentally fought for his next words. "Hey, about the 200th anniversary party at the family mansion... I didn't mean..."

"Didn't mean what?" Cassandra's face fell from a smile to simple curiosity.

"Didn't mean to be, well, pushy. You know, how I was trying to act like a big shot."

Cassandra nodded. "Right, how you tried to make yourself look better than Carlos?"

Alphonse winced for a second, feeling his gut squirm. "That's it. I mean, I was a little drunk at the time and my friend Luis... well, he's not my friend anymore... he goaded me into saying those things, and I was feeling reckless and... well, I'm really sorry, and I shouldn't have -"

"That's enough, Al," Cassandra waved a hand, a small grin tugging at her lips. "That was three days ago. No serious harm done."

Feeling uncertain, Al plowed on, "I thought you were still furious at me. I came to say sorry."

"You did, and I'm glad," Cassandra told him, reaching up and clapping a hand to Al's shoulder. "Look, don't fret so much about it. I don't feel angry and I don't hate your or anything. Carlos is fine and so am I. What do you say we all forget about that silliness and get back to work?"

Apprehensive, Al started to smile. "Do you mean it? We're cool again?"

Cassandra laughed. "Yes, we're cool again! Like I said, it wasn't that big a deal. Lots of people make asses of themselves at parties..."

Al winced again. "That hurt..."

"I was only kidding." Cassandra sat back at her workbench, gesturing toward a nearby crate of spare parts and tools. "We're still friends, and more importantly, I am your mechanics teacher and you're my student! Buckle yourself up for another session today, Alphonse. You need to learn how to recalibrate missile-propulsion systems. LRM's don't repair themselves!"

With a slight spring in his step, Al wandered over to the indicated crate, pulling out mechanical odds and ends. "What do you want me to do?"

Picking up a screwdriver and twisting a few bolts into place on her project, Cassandra said, "Sort all those into piles according to function. I'll be done with this soon."

"Yes, ma'am." Al knelt by the crate and started making a pile of objects.

"Oh," Cassandra added, "the arena tournament is about to enter its second stage! The four-way matches are all done and the eight winners will start facing off in duels starting on the 20th. Care to watch the first game with me? Carlos provided tickets for us and Lyla."

Al tossed a spare part up and down in his hand a few times before setting it into a new pile. "Great. Should be fun."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Patrol route, Alvarez County, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 12, 3075**_

Thankfully, the Arctic Wolves' next patrol mission took place late at night, and as Kyle sat in the cockpit of his _Shadow Cat_, he marveled that he could perform a mission out in the open desert _without _melting himself. He had heard that because deserts had little cloud cover, the day's heat could easily escape into space, and the comfortable 54 degree Fahrenheit temperature reading on his HUD confirmed that science tidbit. Kyle first adjusted his 'mech's course to keep in formation with his lance, trotting across the sandy dunes and rocky soil. The inky black sky shone with countless stars like chips of diamonds, and two huge, ashy gray moons floated over the rocky crags and mesas. Moonlight frosted the rippling dunes and jagged rock formations, lending a harsh but somehow graceful beauty to the environment.

_I definitely like Korla after sundown, _Kyle thought warmly. That, and the fact that he and the other Wolves had found no trouble so far on this patrol, set his mind at a drowsy ease. Shaking his head, Kyle silently reprimanded himself and focused on his 'mech's course. _Now isn't the time to get careless. This is enemy territory, and Alfonso and General Abby need us Wolves to get this area ready for a Vargas offensive later on._

"Reaching checkpoint four," Nikolai announced on the battle comm a few minutes later as the twelve Wolves reached a point labeled "4" on each 'mech's radar. "Just two more checkpoints to go, guys. Checkpoint 5 is three kilometers to the northeast, past those large mesas."

"Oh, I'm sleepy," Samantha yawned on Kyle's private comm.

An amused grin tugged at Kyle's lips. "Glad I'm not the only one."

"Are you a big sleepyhead, too?" Samantha teased him sweetly.

"N-no! Just... listless. Marching around in an empty, chilly desert doesn't really get the blood moving."

"I hear that," Samantha responded. "Mmmmmm... if we were back at base, I know a few ways to get our blood moving, darling..."

"I'll keep that in mind for later," Kyle laughed warmly. He knew that if anyone else hacked into this private channel, Samantha would turn that person into a lump of apologetic ooze. Still, Kyle glanced at Samantha's _Marauder _marching to his right, and remembered the day in 3068 when he had first met her. _Still the same tough gal she was back then, _he thought. _But hell, I love her._

Fury's gruff voice popped into the comm. "Anyone else see that?"

A wary tone tinged Nikolai's voice. "I see them. Sixteen contacts, 900 meters out, approaching from the west."

Kyle's stomach tightened as he stared at the multiple moving red dots on his scanners. "Alvarez raiders?"

"Most likely," Nikolai responded. "Let me see..." the comm let out a hiss of static as Nikolai expanded his comm channels. "This is Arctic One to Skull One, come in. Do you read eight tangos to the west?"

A few seconds later, Harry Saxon's sneering voice entered the comm. "Uh-huh, I read them. Why? Scared, Arctic Mutts?"

Nikolai ignored the casual jab from the Screaming Skulls CO. "No, bonehead. If we trap the Alvarez guys from both sides, we can take them out. What do you say? This patrol mission can become a seek-and-destroy."

"Fine," Harry grunted. "I'm 700 meters north of the tangos. I'm moving south to engage them. Just do your part."

Shutting off the channel, Nikolai steered his lumbering _Marauder _to the west, and the other eleven Arctic Wolves tagged along in formation. The sixteen red dots drew rapidly closer, and the distance tracker on Kyle's HUD soon read 550 meters. "Light 'em up, people!" Nikolai ordered.

Before anyone opened fire, however, a sudden shout on the comm froze the Wolves. "Taking fire! Repeat, taking fire from a second Alvarez group! Sorry, Wolves, suggest you break off the first group," came Harry Saxon's voice. "I can't back you up."

"Damn it," Nikolai cursed. Seconds later, clusters of explosions suddenly erupted all over the Arctic Wolves' 'mechs, lighting up the dark desert with orange and yellow light. Kyle winced as his 'mech was rattled by the kinetic force, and he realized that LRM's had been fired at the Wolves... lots of LRM's. Kyle moved out of the smoke cloud and saw four Alvarez _Trebuchet_s and four _Bushwacker_s on the approach, and large lasers from the _Bushwacker_s stabbed through the air. Slabs of armor melted off the Arctic Wolves' 'mechs, and more LRM's from the _Trebuchet_s pounded even more damage into the Wolves. At the feet of the Alvarez 'mechs rolled eight _Glaive _tanks, all armed with LRM 15's and large lasers that fired continuously.

Furious, Kyle slipped his crosshairs onto an enemy _Trebuchet_, praying that he didn't get hit by LRM's. As soon as his targeting dot blinked gold to confirm a lock, Kyle mashed his left joystick's firing button. The right arm of his 'mech jerked back, releasing a fast bolt of silver. The _Trebuchet _flinched and recoiled as though punched, and Kyle watched the 'mech's armored chest violently cave in from the slug impact. The _Trebuchet_ took a few steps back to recuperate, but its fellows kept up the LRM fire, easily withstanding the PPC's that the Wolves started to launch. Samantha's twin Light Gauss Rifles fired two metallic slugs, snapping off a _Bushwacker_'s left arm. Some and sparks poured from the wound.

"It's getting too hot. Pull back! Get back to the patrol route!" Nikolai barked. "We'll call for reinforcements. Just get moving as fast as possible."

More than happy to escape the deadly LRM zone, Kyle whirled his 45-ton 'mech around and pushed his throttle to full, scampering across the dunes with missiles and lasers flying all around him. The slower _Marauder_s stomped down the other side of a tall dune, blocking off the Alvarez weapons. Nikolai guided the Wolves back to the patrol route, scouring the Vargas battle comm network for reinforcements. However, the nearest Vargas patrol was at least forty minutes away, and Kyle got the sinking feeling that he would be reaching for his eject lever well before then.

"More!" Thomas "Blitz" Jones blurted. Kyle checked his radar and found another eight hostile 'mechs moving in fast from the south, moving in a direction relative to the Wolves and first eight Alvarez 'mechs to force the Wolves toward the east in order to escape.

"Move northeast, between those two wide dunes," Nikolai ordered. "It's the best way to escape enemy fire and we can set up an ambush there."

Unsure what exactly was going to happen, Kyle hurried his _Shadow Cat _with the other Wolves toward the designated area, aware that the eight new 'mechs were all _Razorback_s with large lasers. The sixteen Alvarez 'mechs and eight tanks pushed the Wolves farther to the east, using their LRM's to harass the Wolves without fear of retaliation. As soon as Nikolai and the other Arctic Wolves got within the safety of the dunes, Nikolai ordered, "Now, spread out to cover all approaches. They'll have to come in either from between the dunes or over them. This way, they can't fire at us until they get in close, around 200 meters' distance, taking away their damned long-range advantage. Even if they get on the high ground, they'll have to get close to get a clear shot at us, taking away their ranged advantage."

"Confirmed," Kyle responded, aware that he'd have to use his ER medium lasers in the coming battle. His heart hammered with anxiety as he gripped his joysticks tightly, wishing that his palms wouldn't sweat so much.

Then, hundreds of red dots flared to life on the radar within a 200 meter radius.

"Mines!" Nikolai hissed. "No one move! We're right on top of a minefield."

"Those Alvarez bastards herded us right into this minefield," Samantha realized. "What do we do, boss?"

"We hold still and wait for the Alvarez forces to come to us," Nikolai told her. "If they don't, we just wait until the reinforcements come. Maybe the Screaming Skulls can pull us out somehow."

The Alvarez forces didn't waste any time: all of them crept up over the towering dunes, raining large lasers over the Arctic Wolves. Kyle gritted his teeth as lasers raked his 'mech, and he prepared to return fire with his medium lasers.

His 'mech moved sluggishly, and its HUD flickered and fizzled.

"What?" Kyle worked the controls frantically, ignoring the large lasers slicing into his 'mech's limbs. However, neither his 'mech nor the other Arctic Wolves' 'mechs could return fire.

"Surrender, Arctic Wolves," the pilot of a _Trebuchet _demanded on the open comm. "You cannot open fire or escape. Each and every one of those mines can be remotely detonated at will by me or any of my men."

"I don't surrender, bastard," Nikolai growled back. "Don't you know not to corner a wolf? You become the path of least resistance."

"Don't play games," the Alvarez pilot barked. "You Wolves will not be able to move for at least another thirty seconds. You were hit by ER large electrolasers, developed by the Alvarez County a few years ago. They have less range than regular ER large lasers, but they have a very powerful stun effect woven into the laser. Expensive tech, but it works. Surrender at once!"

Aware that the combined stun lasers and mines could overwhelm his company, Nikolai responded heavily, "Very well. I know better than to throw away the life of my men. This is one hell of a trap."

Kyle could hear the simmering resentment in his boss' voice and knew that once Nikolai found a chance, sooner or later, the Wolves would tear apart the Alvarez forces and make an escape attempt. The Vargas Estate forces would certainly help out if Nikolai could send out a distress call.

"The Screaming Skulls have also been captured by similar means," the Alvarez pilot added. "You mercenaries have haunted the Alvarez Estate long enough. Leonardo and Miguel will decide what to do with you."

"The sons of the old Alvarez count and countess?" Nikolai commented. "They're running the show now?"

"They are," the _Trebuchet _pilot confirmed. "I will call in a dropship to take you away. Do not fire any weapons, or we will trigger the mines and you will be buried under the collapsing dunes. That is, if my men don't liquidate your badly-damaged 'mechs with lasers first."

Nikolai sighed on the comm. "Just get it over with."

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **Here are the stats of the ER large electrolaser.

Weight: 5 tons

Critical slots: 2

Range: 450 meters

Damage per shot: 4

Heat per shot: 12

Recycle delay: 12 seconds


	10. Chapter 9 A New Contract

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 9: A New Contract**

_**Patrol route, Alvarez County, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 12, 3075**_

Kyle couldn't help but shiver as he climbed down the ladder of his _Shadow Cat_, setting foot on the hard bay floor of an Alvarez _Union_-class dropship. He was already a little sweaty from the heat of his 'mech's cockpit, and now he stood in the cool desert night air with only his shorts, cooling vest and boots on. One by one, the other Arctic Wolves 'mechs ambled reluctantly into the bay and powered down. A dozen armed Alvarez soldiers kept guard, their assault rifles held at the ready.

Next came Samantha's _Marauder_, the huge 'mech coming to a halt next to Kyle's smaller _Shadow Cat_. Samantha herself popped open her 'mech's hatch and climbed down, her expression sour as she stood next to Kyle. Like the other Arctic Wolves, she put her hands behind her head to prevent any sudden moves.

"Just be cool," Kyle muttered to his girlfriend. "I doubt they're going to kill us. Maybe cooperative captives get a little special treatment."

Samantha grunted angrily but quietly in response, the petite young woman's jaw tensed. "Bastards came out of nowhere," she responded. "They'll never get away with this."

"I just hope that Alfonso Vargas' spy network picks us up. Then we can get rescued," Kyle added with a hopeful tone. "He wouldn't let his mercenary assets go like that."

"Shut it," snapped a guard, poking Kyle's back with his rifle's muzzle. Kyle grimaced but made no sound.

Last to enter the hangar was Fury's hulking _Atlas_, the humanoid 'mech's arms lowered. The entire bay shuddered as the 'mech stomped up the ramp and placed its back to a blank spot on the wall. With the lowering whine of its engines shutting down, the _Atlas_' hatch opened and its ladder lowered. Fury slowly climbed down the ladder, skipping the last few rungs and landing heavily on the bay floor. The towering black-haired man shot the guards nasty looks but still put his hands on the back of his head, standing with the other Arctic Wolves.

"Good, you're all here," came the voice of a newcomer. From the elevator stepped a man with a gray uniform and an officer's hat. "I am Colonel Salma of the Alvarez County's armed forces. You Wolves fell neatly for my trap, and I can assure you, you will never see the luxurious halls of the Vargas family mansion again."

Nikolai's eyebrows raised. "Is that so?"

"Yes, it is," Colonel Salma retorted without flinching. "You twelve are to be taken to the Palais du Soleil in the Laurent Commonwealth, where the Alvarez brothers await you. They'll be most interested to meet the war hounds who helped Alfonso Vargas destroy their home in the 3074 conquest."

"How can you pin that on us?" Kyle objected. "We were just hired guns, doing our job. Blame Alfonso and his officers for your loss!"

Kyle bit back a cry as a guard slammed the butt of his rifle into Kyle's back, forcing Kyle to his knees. Colonel Salma stalked toward Kyle, his polished black boots clicking loudly on the metal floor.

"Then you 'hired guns' should have known better than to return to the world where you fight with monsters," Salma said calmly. "Or have the deep pockets of Alfonso Vargas blinded you to that simple fact? Perhaps it was foolish for me to expect any different. I would – ouch!"

At that moment, Samantha lashed out with her right hand, catching Salma on the jaw and knocking the man's head to the side. As Salma stumbled away in shock, two guards raised their rifles to club Samantha into submission. With her pink-dyed hair whirling in the air, Samantha ducked and let the rifles swing through empty air, leaving the two guards exposed. Samantha leaned back and shot out her booted foot, catching one guard in the belly. The man grunted and fell back, dropping his weapon.

"Stop her already!" Salma shouted impatiently. Samantha whirled around to confront another guard, but another guard kicked her in the back of her knee and landed a blow on her head with his rifle butt, forcing Samantha to her hands and knees. The other guard raised his weapon and heaved the butt of his rifle down at Samantha's head, intending to knock her out.

"No!" Kyle tackled the guard, forcing the man to the bay floor in a confused heap. Kyle's fists smashed into the shocked guard's head, breaking the man's skin above his eye and on his cheek. However, a pair of strong hands seized Kyle's arms and heaved him back, and Kyle relaxed when he realized that two guards had locked his arms tight in their own arms.

Colonel Salma walked over to Samantha and lifted her by the collar of her cooling vest, breathing hard. "You Arctic Wolves have spirit after all," he commented. "Too bad it's misplaced."

"What do you know?" Samantha huffed. "You can't just capture us like this! Animals will fight for their freedom when captured."

Salma's face soured. "You people take your wolf motif a little too seriously." He then jabbed a small needle into Samantha's neck, causing her to go limp, her eyes closing.

"Don't hurt her!" Kyle squirmed in the guards' grip, blood pounding in his ears.

"I only put her out for now," Salma told Kyle, hoisting Samantha's petite, limp form and setting her against a wall. "I also notice that the rest of you didn't take advantage of the chaos. Very smart. There is no escape from here! This dropship is all you have." He gave a short order on his comm device and the bay doors snapped shut.

"Now," Salma added, walking toward the elevator. "You Wolves be nice while you're put into your confinement cells. They'll be a little crowded, but this will be a short flight. You'll arrive at the Palais du Soleil and the brothers will have a chance to speak to you sooner than they expect. Way ahead of schedule."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 13, 3075**_

"Jeez, Cassie, you're still working? Talk about burning the midnight oil! God, what an old saying..."

Lyla Lister wandered into the 'mech bay as the morning sun was starting to creep over the dunes, and only the two women were in the hangar this early in the day. Lyla yawned and wandered over to the large 'mech head sitting on a platform, curiosity buzzing in her head.

Cassandra Goyua, still clad in her work overalls, stumbled out of the 'mech's head. Her hair was messy and her eyes looked tired, but she flashed Lyla a smile and gave the thumb's-up. "Worth it, Lyla. I finally have this thing finished."

"I don't recognize what 'mech this head goes to," Lyla commented, giving it a look. Shaped like a medieval helmet, the head reminded Lyla of a _Black Knight_'s head but it looked somewhat different.

Cassandra patted her hand on the head's temple. "It's the head assembly of my _Jouster _prototype! I've been keeping it a secret. Been working on it... for months." She yawned widely partway through her sentence, swaying slightly on the spot.

Lyle wandered over, checking the back of the _Jouster _head. The hatch was open, revealing the fully-furbished cockpit within. "Were you in there?"

"Yeah, and the systems all work," Cassandra yawned again. "As well as they can for just a head, that is. Look... if I win that bet, I'll have everyone here helping me build the rest! Then I'll have my prototype ready for the field by Christmas. Maybe even sooner. I'd love to be ahead of schedule..."

Settling into the cockpit's seat, Lyle gave Cassandra a gentle look. "Hey, you've been up all night with this thing. It looks great, and I'll you run some diagnostics to check for bugs, but get to bed. Sheesh."

"Great idea," Cassandra agreed, nodding sleepily. "Just don't bother pulling the eject lever. It won't do anything."

"Ohhhh. I was hoping this thing could take me for a ride," Lyle joked with a laugh. "Sleep tight. Oh man, that's another old one, from when beds had ropes that needed to be tightened every night."

"Well, aren't you a blast of old-fashioned goodness..." Cassandra returned a laugh as she walked toward the bay exit to reach her car. _Maybe this is the last all-nighter I should pull._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Storage rooms, Palais du Soleil, Laurent Commonwealth, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 13, 3075**_

Nikolai Kerensky decided right away that he had seen much worse interrogation scenes in holovid movies, but sitting bound in a wooden chair by synthetic fiber ropes with nothing in this room to look at but crates on the metal shelves wasn't his idea of a good vacation. A single light bulb shone from the ceiling overhead, making the whole room somewhat dim. Nikolai had already been sitting here for an hour or so and dearly hoped that he wouldn't need a bathroom break – no doubt the Alvarez officers intended to keep him here for a while in boredom to erode his will. _Well, that ain't going to work, _Nikolai thought defiantly. He had been given a simple pair of jeans and black T-shirt for his captivity, but he already missed his expensive leather jacket from back on the _Hunter's Insight _dropship.

The door's lock rattled and the door swung open on its hinges. Nikolai snapped his attention to the doorway as two young men marched in, locking the door closed behind them. One of them carried a briefcase. As they approached the light, Nikolai could tell that they were related based on their similar faces. _Are they...?_

"Nikolai Kerensky," stated the slightly taller one. "My name is Leonardo Alvarez."

"Miguel Alvarez," stated the other.

Nikolai gave the brothers a good look. Leonardo had a mop of black hair and wire-frame glasses, and he wore a simple dark red polo shirt with long sleeves along with black pants. He was the one who carried the briefcase and he set it down on the floor. Miguel, on the other hand, had shorter black hair sported a white business shirt complete with a blue tie, dark pants and shiny black shoes. _This isn't a business meeting, guys, _Nikolai thought. _Or do you love playing dress-up?_

"Do you want any water?" Leonardo offered.

Nikolai resisted a grin as he shook his head. "No thank you. I'd rather not find out what kinds of interrogation drugs you guys prefer first-hand."

"We have no intention of poisoning you," Miguel argued, kneeling close to Nikolai to get on eye level with him. His intense eyes bored into Nikolai's. "We want your mind clear and your judgment sound for what we have to say."

"Which is what? That my Arctic Wolves and I are monsters? I went over this with your Colonel Salma, but he wasn't in the mood to listen."

Leonardo shook his head. "Colonel Salma is a good man, but tries a _little _too hard to impress. Do not worry about him."

"Then should I worry about getting my knees shot or something?"

"This isn't a joke, Kerensky!" Miguel barked, causing Nikolai to recoil. "Has it occurred to you what you are doing? Fighting for the conqueror who wants to claim all of Korla under his bloody banner!"

"Mercenaries fight for who they will," Leonardo added. "But rejoining Korla's state of affairs makes you more than a hired gun, Nikolai. You must understand that by merely signing a contract with Alfonso Vargas, you make yourself dangerous enemies. Enemies like us."

"Are you going to hold me for ransom?" Nikolai asked.

"Probably not," Leonardo shook his head, folding his arms. "But as Samantha Smith's little stunt proved, escape attempts will not work. Cooperate, and a mutually beneficial plan can be worked out."

Nikolai's eyes narrowed. "You're striking a deal? Interesting twist."

Now Leonardo knelt too, his eyes stern behind his glasses. "You and your Arctic Wolves could give us what we need: strength to fight back against Alfonso Vargas' and General Abby's cruel regime. The Screaming Skulls will be offered the same deal. I won't let your talents go to waste by being held captive in some dungeon forever."

"I've received some payments from Alfonso Vargas for my work so far," Nikolai stated. "How can you ask me to turn on my employer? I have unfinished business. I can't work for free."

"My brother and I are quite prepared to fund your assistance to us," Miguel added with a sly grin. "Plus we can give you a wealth of advanced technology unique to the Alvarez County." His face fell. "But you might not even need any payments for motivation to work after you see _this_."

Nikolai swallowed in a suddenly dry throat, realizing that he _did _want a drink of water. "See what?"

Leonardo opened the briefcase, taking out a fold-out television device shaped like a laptop computer. "This was the breaking news from earlier tonight," he explained, turning the device on. A news report filled the screen, showing a scene of a burning city with chaos in the streets. In the background, gunfire raged back and forth between armed forces and screaming civilians fled the scene in cars or on foot in panicked droves.

A male reporter on the screen spoke, "We take you live to the war-torn streets of Bhujorba City, where the local freedom movement has amassed enough weaponry to make an assault on the Vargas Estate conquerors. This assault is considered retaliation for increasingly heavy civilian casualties suffered at the hands of Vargas forces due to previous local resistance. Many in the Bhujorba Protectorate and other nations are decrying Alfonso Vargas and his ally, General Abby, demanding Mr. Vargas to step down and end his reign of terror on our world. The Vargas Estate's ally nations stand firmly with the Estate, but an increasing number of other nations are joining the rallying cry to take down Alfonso Vargas and General Abby for good."

Although the device's speakers had only a tinny and hollow sound, Nikolai felt his insides turn to lead as he stared transfixed at the screen. _Us Wolves never harm civilians! And I'll die sooner than call myself an ally of someone who would. This goes against what we believe in. Duty, honor, discipline... this slaughter is appalling._

"Didn't see this news report back at the Estate, did you?" Miguel said, folding is arms. "My brother and I have been fiddling with comm networks and found out that the Vargas Estate's information control center is censoring more and more information, and even lying in some cases to prevent the Estate's people from rallying against their leaders."

Leonardo got up, taking a simple cardboard crate from a shelf and bringing it to Nikolai. He opened the lid, taking out a variety of random personal effects from a teddy bear to a few books to a car license plate. All of them were burned, torn by bullets, or both. "These items, and thousands of others in the crates in this room, were damaged when the Vargas Estate conquered the Alvarez County and massacred thousands of civilians to discourage a rebellion," Leonardo explained, holding up a scorched teddy bear and staring into Nikolai's eyes. "You fought for Alfonso then, and you are fighting for him now. You know what kind of person your employer is. Question is, can you live with that?"

Nikolai gave the teddy bear a quick look, taking in its burnt fiber threads and tattered stuffing. He swallowed again, wishing for a nice cold beer. "You guys said you'd pay my men and I for switching sides? As in, a _lot_?"

"We're not into indulging prisoners, but we can make an exception," Miguel offered, shrugging his shoulders. "Ready to fight for the right team this time?"

Nikolai pursed his lips. "If you guys try to cheat me out in any way or stab me in the back..."

Leonardo forced a laugh. "That would make us almost as bad as Alfonso. Not happening."

Nikolai huffed a sigh. "Then I've got a new contract. Where do I sign?"


	11. Chapter 10 No Margin for Error

**STEEL WOLF**

**A/N: **Nikolai's decision to join the Alvarez County forces in chapter 9 may seem somewhat hasty, but he had good reasons to accept the offer and this will be explained further in chapter 11. Also, I figure that by the 3070's, it is increasingly easy for Inner Sphere folk to acquire tech from the Warden Clans, thus the _Ursus _'mech presented in this chapter. Do enjoy!

**Chapter 10: No Margin for Error**

_**Street, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 13, 3075**_

Thankfully, the air was still cool and dry in the early morning as Cassandra walked toward her red car parked outside the 'mech bay. Very few other cars or pedestrians were out and about right now, and the skyscrapers and apartment buildings in the Vargas Estate's capital stood silently. Fighting back another yawn, Cassandra hummed to herself as she unlocked her car door, her head still buzzing with excited thoughts about possibly completing her _Jouster _and _Tomahawk _prototypes.

"Ah. Good morning, Cassandra Goyua," came a voice. Perking up a little, Cassandra turned and saw one of the Arctic Wolves officers walking toward her, the Wolves' blue and white logo patch on the man's uniform shoulders.

"Oh. Morning," Cassandra nodded sleepily. "Can this be quick? I was up all night and want to go back to the engineers' dorms. Lyla will cover my work this morning."

The officer nodded. "I understand. However, I am afraid that I have bad news. News from the front lines."

At that, Cassandra's gut turned cold and the excitement of her prototype 'mechs melted from her mind. She looked fearfully at the officer. "What news?"

"As of 11:32 PM last night, on August 12th, the Arctic Wolves went out of contact during a patrol mission in the Alvarez County territory," the officer recited, squaring his shoulders. "All twelve Mechwarriors are now considered MIA, including your brother Kyle Goyua. I am sorry to report it, but you must know what is happening."

"Oh my God..." Cassandra slumped her back against her car door, her head now buzzing with much worse thoughts. This wasn't as bad as hearing that the Arctic Wolves warriors were actually killed in combat, but if they were captured, what would the vengeful Alvarez commanders do to their Arctic Wolves captives? Scenes of torture and interrogation flashed through Cassandra's mind, but she dismissed them with a shake of her head. _No use panicking about what could happen, but I can't help but worry about Kyle and the others. I really hope he's okay!_

"The other officers are considering our options," the officer continued. "Our Aerospace assets have been unable to pick up a trail, but in all likelihood, our Mechwarriors and their 'mechs were taken to the capital of the Laurent Commonwealth, where the Alvarez forces have their makeshift headquarters. Alfonso Vargas will be asked to arrange a rescue mission soon."

Cassandra swallowed hard. "Y-yeah, I guess so." A thought occurred to her. "How will we pay off our dropship now? The _Hunter's Insight _still represents an outstanding debt to Alfonso Vargas."

"That is something we are considering," the officer nodded. "One option is to loan the _Hunter's Insight _to the Vargas Estate forces for a negotiable fee. That way, our ship is still being put to use and we can start paying it off. If we're lucky, we could rescue our Mechwarriors and get them back here with the _Hunter's Insight_."

Cassandra forced a laugh. "Well, the tactical stuff isn't my specialty. As long as my brother and the others get back safely, that's all I need. I'll be watching the news closely."

"Yes." The officer turned to go. "I recently saw news of the insurrection war occurring in Bhujorba City. Nasty business. I hope that we do not get tangled up in something like that."

"Oh yeah, I saw that too," Cassandra added. "It's horrible. Just what is Alfonso doing? Us Wolves would never do something like that to innocents."

"I know," the officer responded, starting to walk away. "It makes one think."

Cassandra sighed, suddenly feeling even more tired as she swung open her car door and settled into the seat. Slamming the door closed and twisting the key in the ignition, Cassandra hoped that Carlos' upcoming 'mech battle would take her mind off things.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Desert Arena, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 20, 3075**_

"You're going to be bouncing off the walls at this rate," Cassandra joked as Lyla Lister sat down next to her in the desert arena's grandstands. Once again Lyla cradled an armful of sugary snacks and other junk food, but she only smiled as she reclined in her seat.

"Could I have one of those?" Alphonse asked hopefully, leaning in his seat to get a look at all of Lyla's snacks. He sat on Cassandra's other side.

Lyla held her food close to her. "No way, Alphonse. You have to keep your health in check! Aren't you a bodybuilder?"

Alphonse made a confused face. "What? No. I played football in college but I gave that up to pursue engineering work."

Lyla smiled warmly again. "But you sure as hell didn't give up that quarterback body. Whoo-hoo!"

"B-but I didn't play quarterback," Alphonse sputtered, his face warming as Cassandra held back a giggle. "Are you making a pass at me? I thought you were with Nikolai."

"Yeah, I am with him," Lyla said fondly. "He and I go back a long way, Al."

Alphonse sat back in his seat as more fans poured into the grandstands around him. "Then aren't you worried about him? He and the other Arctic Wolves are still MIA. Anything could have happened to him."

Lyla chuckled and shook her head. "You've got more to learn about us Arctic Wolves, friend. If I had to worry and lose sleep every time Nikolai got himself in a bind, I wouldn't be here today. I would have quit long ago. He's better than that and I bet that he'll be back soon enough. So I'm not worried."

"I admire your confidence."

"Good. Admire me some more. I love it."

"Come on, Lyla..."

Cassandra gave Alphonse a pat on the shoulder. "Will you never catch on to the fact that she loves teasing you? You're pretty easy to bait..."

Alphonse sighed grumpily. "So I trust easily. Sue me."

"Game's about to start," Lyla piped up, pointing. "Here they come now!"

*o*o*o*o*

"Whew. Okay, Carlos. By the book. Don't let this one slip up," Carlos Vargas told himself sternly, sitting in the increasingly warm cockpit of his _Shadow Hawk-_7CS. He pushed on the pedal slowly, letting his 55-tonner break out into a confident trot across the road toward the waiting arena. The sun sank toward the dunes, giving the desert panorama a soft gold-orange glow while the opposite horizon started to turn deep blue. As Carlos walked his 'mech toward his starting position in the square desert arena, he glanced at a photograph of a smiling, brown-haired young woman taped to his cockpit's dashboard. _Watch this, Cassie. I'll make your proud!_

"People of the Vargas Estate, welcome to tonight's one-on-one match of the desert arena tournament!" boomed the announcer's voice. "Only one brave warrior today will earn the right to advance in the single-elimination segment of the tournament. Before long, we'll have four semi-finalists to contend for the top spot and one of these two Mechwarriors tonight will be among them!"

Carlos moved his _Shadow Hawk _onto its starting position, releasing his foot pedal to bring the 'mech to a halt. Far across the arena, nearly one kilometer away, stood an unusual sight: a gleaming silver _Ursus_.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce our first contender tonight!" exclaimed the announcer. "In the south gate we welcome Michael Prichel, a longtime warrior who will stop at nothing to claim the trophy! He's bringing a real treat for the eyes: an _Ursus_, a powerful fusion of Clan and Spheroid technology. Where the obtained this treasure, no one knows, but our other contender is going to have a real fight on his hands!"

Squinting at his HUD's readouts, Carlos made a quick mental summary of what he was fighting. The _Ursus _carried a hefty ER large laser and a pair of ER medium lasers on its right arm, while the torso carried two medium pulse lasers. The left shoulder bore an LRM 10 launcher and the right torso carried an SRM 6 launcher. _That guy's set up for good long-range pounding, but he has nasty short-range defenses as well, _Carlos analyzed. _There's going to be no margin for error. I have to play this right or bust!_

"Our other contender tonight is none other than Carlos Vargas, ready to prove that being wealthy is no reason to be a slouch!" continued the announcer. "Carlos aims to make his father proud tonight so Michael had better watch his back tonight! Now, everything is set. Let the match... begin!"

At once, Carlos stomped hard on his 'mech's pedals, wrenching his joysticks to the side. He felt himself get thrown around as his _Shadow Hawk _broke into a run to the left, scampering up a tall dune. Tons of sand were kicked up by his 'mech's rapidly stomping feet, but Carlos focused only on his enemy. He tightened his hands on his joysticks, slipping his crosshairs onto the _Ursus _as the enemy 'mech ran toward the arena's center.

Squeezing his joystick's trigger, Carlos felt his _Shadow Hawk _recoil from the fifteen LRM's that roared out of its right shoulder. Guided by an Artemis IV system, the missiles curved sharply toward their moving target like a swarm of angry bees. However, the bulky _Ursus _snapped its right arm up and let loose a vivid red laser from its main gun. Carlos winced as the ER large laser burned into his _Shadow Hawk_'s right torso, and globs of melted armor spilled onto the dunes, sizzling on the sand.

Then, the _Ursus _quickly backed up and scooted to the side, putting a small dune between it and the incoming LRM's. Carlos muttered a curse as most of the LRM's crashed into the dune, peppering the terrain with a string of explosions. Four of the missiles did hit home, pounding into the _Ursus_' right shoulder and breaking off flakes of armor. Shrugging off the minimal damage, the _Ursus _retreated into the terrain, keeping out of sight.

"Not so fast, pal," Carlos growled, firing up his jump jets. He felt himself getting shoved into his seat by G-forces as his 'mech's jet thrusters fired up, vaulting the 'mech higher and higher into the air. The sandy terrain fell away below the _Shadow Hawk_'s feet, and Carlos resisted a laugh as he easily spotted the _Ursus _hiding in cover. Carlos squeezed another trigger, and a blast of Ultra Autocannon 5 shells flashed through the air. The _Ursus_, far below, shuddered as the ballistics tore into its center torso.

Pressing his advantage, Carlos prepared to fire his LRM 15 again, but another red laser beamed up from the _Ursus_, and Carlos winced as his HUD reported a lot of armor lost from the _Shadow Hawk_'s right leg. Carlos' gut squirmed as his _Shadow Hawk _wobbled from the awkward shift of mass balance, and he knew that he needed to get down fast. Hands flying across the controls, Carlos quickly eased his _Shadow Hawk _back down toward the waiting dunes, praying that he didn't take another large laser shot in the process.

_This Michael guy is a great shot. I have to minimize the time where he can see me. Hit and run should do it, _Carlos told himself. He clenched his jaw as his _Shadow Hawk _slammed its feet back onto the ground, the whole 'mech shuddering from the impact. Acting fast, Carlos scampered across the dunes, watching as the _Ursus _popped back into the open. Another LRM 15 flight streaked out of the _Shadow Hawk_'s shoulder launcher, but this time the _Ursus _responded in kind, its LRM 10 launcher spitting out a cluster of rockets.

Pulling back on his joysticks, Carlos backed up toward a shallow valley between two dunes, hoping to block the ten incoming LRM's on a dune since his opponent had no advanced guidance tech. Meanwhile, his own fifteen LRM's all exploded against the brawny _Ursus_, causing the Clan-Spheroid 'mech to recoil as though punched. From the explosion came two ER medium lasers, both of which raked Carlos' _Shadow Hawk _on its torso.

Cursing under his breath, Carlos slipped into the dune's cover, and the _Ursus_' ten LRM's blasted off the top of the dune, entirely missing the _Shadow Hawk. _Popping back out of cover, Carlos fired up his UAC 5, and he felt satisfaction as the rounds tore into the _Ursus_' missile-damaged torso, breaking off chunks of charred armor.

Then the _Ursus _slipped to the side, its ER large laser stabbing through the air again. This time, the deadly beam slashed into Carlos' LRM 15 launcher.

"Critical hit!" warned the HUD's automated voice as red lights flashed on the screens. Carlos gritted his teeth, pulling hard on his joysticks to keep his 'mech balanced. His right shoulder's LRM 15 launcher exploded from the laser's molten touch, and the internal ammo explosion was vented just in time by the CASE Carlos had installed. Still, the entire right side of his 'mech creaked and groaned, already badly damaged by earlier attacks. Breathing hard and trying to ignore the warning lights, Carlos snapped his crosshairs onto the _Ursus _and opened fire. His Ultra Autocannon 5 barked loudly, but its rounds hissed through empty air, missing the _Ursus_' left shoulder.

Racing in a zig-zag pattern toward the _Ursus_, Carlos mashed his trigger again, firing another UAC 5 volley. This time, his shells slashed into the _Ursus_' wounded left torso, creating a shower of sparks at the point of contact. The _Ursus _reeled from the blow, but then it recovered and fired its guns. Two ER medium laser beams sliced through the air, but Carlos adjusted his course at the last second, letting the beams miss him entirely. His UAC 5 hammered the _Ursus _yet again, chipping off armor from its right torso.

_Wait, _Carlos realized. _I'm missing a lot of my firepower so I have to focus. The _Ursus_ is missing the most armor on its left torso. That's my only chance and I've got to hurry. I can't take much more from that ER large laser!_

Reaching 300 meters' distance from the _Ursus_, Carlos noted that the enemy 'mech would now use its SRM's instead of LRM's, and that was indeed what happened. Six missiles roared from the _Ursus_' torso, and the missiles blasted into the left shoulder of Carlos' _Shadow Hawk_. The _Shadow Hawk _staggered to the right from the kinetic force, and Carlos realized with dread that he was vulnerable. Luckily, the _Ursus _kept its ER large laser barrel pointed away.

"He's overheated!" Carlos muttered, then grinned wolfishly. He stood his ground, raising both of his _Shadow Hawk_'s arms and letting loose. His ER medium lasers stabbed into the _Ursus_' wounded left torso, melting away what little armor remained there. The _Shadow Hawk _trembled as its UAC 5 fired again, but it was worth it: the shells tore into the _Ursus_' torso near the waist, and smoke poured from the attack point.

Then, the _Ursus _spat out a stream of segmented laser bolts from its torso, and Carlos growled as the medium pulse lasers peppered his _Shadow Hawk _from head to toe, sizzling away armor all over the place. Another warning light blared on Carlos' HUD as a heat sink in the right torso was breached, then another heat sink was breached a few seconds after the first. An SRM volley smashed into the _Shadow Hawk_'s upper torso, but Carlos still stood his ground, lost in his enraged thoughts and a swarm of warning lights and sirens. _I'm not going down, _he thought, feeling oddly detached as he gripped his joysticks tightly. _Keep focus, fire, survive, win. _He lit up his ER medium lasers again, and one missed entirely, stabbing into a dune's sandy ripples. The other one pierced the _Ursus_' wounded left torso, and a small explosion flared out from the 'mech's wound.

Staggering back with smoke leaking from its torso, the _Ursus _raised its right arm and unleashed its fearsome ER large laser yet again. Carlos cried out as his _Shadow Hawk_'s right arm took the blow at the shoulder, and the myomer muscles boiled away in an instant. The titanium bones melted and snapped a second later, causing the entire limb to break off in a shower of sparks and metal shards. The limp arm fell to the dunes, rolling down a slope in a puff of sand.

_No. Not yet, _Carlos thought hazily, using both his joysticks and brain's signals to fight his 'mech's swaying. Gasping for breath, and with sweat soaking his skin, Carlos settled his crosshairs onto the _Ursus_' torso and let loose with is Ultra Autocannon 5 and laser. The _Ursus_, not expecting such defiance, reeled back from the assault. Another explosion shook its torso, then another and another in an accelerating string of detonations.

Carlos stared in apprehension as his enemy stumbled backwards, but then a final, bigger explosion burst through the _Ursus_' torso, cracking the 'mech's torso in half. An ejection pod streaked out of the ruined 'mech's head, and the pieces of the _Ursus _collapsed onto the dunes, fire dancing in the charred metal scraps.

"And we have a winner! Carlos Vargas continues his march toward the champion spot!" the announcer shouted excitedly. "Michael fought well, but not even the engineering of the Ghost Bears could save him this time! I do wonder how he convinced the Ghost Bears to give him an _Ursus_, unless he acquired it from battlefield salvage... but that is a mystery for another time. Give a round for tonight's winner!"

Carlos gasped for breath as he waved his _Shadow Hawk_'s left arm, feeling giddy excitement bubble up in his chest. _There you go, Cassie. I won't let you down!_

*o*o*o*o*

_**Private office, family mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 23, 3075**_

"General Abby? I trust that you have a good reason to enter my office this early in the morning?"

Alfonso Vargas breathed deep through his nose as he leaned forward in his swivel chair, resting his chin on his left hand and his elbow on his desk. He narrowed his eyes slightly as his ex-Wolf Clan general marched briskly into the office, her red beret slightly crooked in her haste.

Abby stood ramrod straight four feet before Alfonso's desk. "Mr. Vargas, I will make my case clear: I protest the use of armed force against civilians in our conquest of Korla. Case in point, the brutality in Bhujorba City."

_Oh, so it's this, _Alfonso realized. He sighed and sat back in his chair, the leather padding creaking as he moved. His dark gray suit felt a little tight. "Listen, General. I do not like it either, but if I am too... _forgiving _with my newly-acquired subjects, they will slip out of my grip! I cannot afford to lose anything I have gained at this point. Of course, the sooner the Bhujorba rebels settle down, the better. I am making every effort to squash that rebellion as soon as possible, even if the process is bloody."

"This is not honor," Abby hissed. "This is bullying! And what is more, I am still bothered that you take so many military actions without my counsel. I thought that _I _was the military voice of the Vargas Estate. That was a term of our partnership."

"Be careful with your tone," Alfonso growled, heaving himself out of his chair and walking toward a mahogany bookshelf. "You can be replaced, you know. Not easily, but you can be. I expect a better tone out of you."

Abby swallowed. "I meant no disrespect."

"Good." Alfonso reached out and removed a book from the shelf, a volume of moderate length but thin pages. He flicked through the pages, not really reading them. "Do you see this, General? It is _The Manifest of Prospecting_, authored by Juan Vargas, copyrighted 2879. He wrote this when he began the successful mining of Korla, and it has inspired countless other prospectors across the Inner Sphere, providing material wealth to the Successor States during the Succession Wars. In it, he speaks of the need for a firm hand, for a hard stance now brings both discipline and loyalty later. He was never wrong. I merely follow his footsteps."

Abby gave the book a glance. "You believe that your current course of action will allow you to find your destiny like Juan Vargas did?"

"His advice has never failed anyone," Alfonso boasted, tossing the took to Abby. She caught it, opening to a random page in chapter 9: _Knowing When to Move On._

"This seems a most enlightening book," Abby commented. "Perhaps I could learn much from it. I could study this during my off-hours."

A relaxed smile crossed Alfonso's face. "Wonderful." He clapped his hands together and sank back into his swivel chair. "Now, do you remember our plan to gain another ally? I believe we should do so sooner than later."

"Do you mean the Klein Federation?" Abby asked, referring to a neighboring nation populated by ethnic minority Germans.

"Right," Alfonso nodded. "My intelligence networks believe that the Alvarez brothers may scheme to bring the Federation to their side. We must beat them to the punch!"

"I see where this is going," Abby added. "Recruit the Federation with promises of wealth and the benefits of a united Korla, plus military protection against the nations that oppose us."

"Exactly right. I wish to send a delegation to speak with the Klein family as soon as possible. We should arrange a negotiation party soon."

"And neutralize any similar party that the Alvarez brothers might send," Abby figured. "We cannot afford to have too many enemies."

Alfonso pursed his lips. "Very much so. You are dismissed, Abby. Find success on the battlefield."

"Yes, Mr. Vargas." Abby turned on her heel and swung open the office doors, gently closing the doors again behind her. Around her stood four of her Trinary's Mechwarriors, all waiting for her verdict.

"Alfonso is going to recruit the Klein Federation to his side," Abby told the four men. "But he fails to see the truth about what he is doing. He is going to drive more people away from him than toward him with his lack of honor! I will correct this." She took a deep breath. "I am going to formulate a plan and call it Operation Phantom, and when I give the word, it will go into effect. That may be weeks or months from now, but it will happen. Spread the word to the rest of the Trinary."

The four men saluted. "Aff, Star Colonel."

Making a self-satisfied smile, Abby handed Alfonso's book to one of her men. "Go and throw this away for me. I do not need this trash. I will just tell Alfonso later that I lost it."


	12. Chapter 11 One of the Pack

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 11: One of the Pack**

_**Desert, Alvarez County, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 24, 3075**_

"Boss, I still don't get why you accepted the Alvarez brothers' offer," Samantha Smith complained as the twelve Arctic Wolves marched through the mid-morning desert. A light wind kicked up clouds of sand and dust in the near distance, but the desert wasn't yet hot enough for shimmers of hot air.

"I expected everyone to follow my decision," Nikolai responded, "but if you want me to explain, I can. Look, I effectively didn't really have a choice at all. The Alvarez forces captured us and we had no means of escape. They offered to give us work instead of just keeping us imprisoned in the Palais du Soleil, and even gave us payment and tech in exchange for work. This is probably the most generous capture scenario we'll ever get."

"Money was all we needed?" Kyle asked.

"More than that," Nikolai added. "You're forgetting, Kyle, that us Arctic Wolves have a strict honor system. Alfonso Vargas has gone too far in his bullying of the Bhujorba Protectorate, and the Vargas Estate is making enemies with its foul actions. True, when we were captured I was feeling strained and confused, and I hastily accepted the generous offer made to me. But over the next few days, I got further proof that Leonardo and Miguel weren't trying to trick us. It's confirmed: the Bhujorba Protectorate has become a victim of a madman, and us Wolves are going to help put an end to it."

Kyle focused on the desert terrain up ahead, but he realized that indeed, Alfonso Vargas seemed to be getting out of control in his conquest of Korla, and if both the Vargas family and Alvarez family offered money, then Nikolai would take the side who had more honor. Interestingly, the Screaming Skulls had been given the same offer and had accepted it.

"Arctic One, this is Hawk One," reported the company commander of an Alvarez County strike force nearby. "Report in."

"This is Arctic One," Nikolai tapped into the comm. "My company is prepared for the mission."

"Good. The Screaming Skulls are also prepared," Hawk One stated. "Approach the ambush point at the bearings I'm sending to you. Hold fire until I give the word."

Following Nikolai's lead, Kyle recalled the briefing of this mission. Based on the communications that the Alvarez brothers had intercepted, it was determined that the Arctic Wolves' dropship, the _Hunter's Insight_, was being loaned to the Vargas Estate's military for a fee. Right now, the _Hunter's Insight_, along with one or more other dropships,was being used to secretly deploy an Estate strike force here in the Alvarez County to make a surprise attack on a large supply depot to the north. The Alvarez brothers planned to destroy the strike force, then capture the _Hunter's Insight_ and return it to the Arctic Wolves as a token of cooperation... but on the condition that Alvarez aerospace fighters would be on hand to prevent a sudden getaway on the Wolves' part.

"This kind of feels weird," tuned in Thomas Jones. "Being sent to capture our own dropship!"

"Don't worry, we won't put a scratch on it," Nikolai assured him. "Though if the Alvarez forces accidentally damage it, I just might get mad."

Once the Arctic Wolves made their way around a wide, rocky mesa and over a dune, they gained a clear, wide view of the sprawling desert around them and came to a halt. To the east, Kyle could just barely pick up the twelve Alvarez 'mechs in position on top of a dune, mostly light and medium 'mechs such as the _Bushwacker _and _Razorback_. Far to the west stood the eight Screaming Skulls 'mechs. Kyle recalled the next part of the mission: once the Estate strike force was intercepted and destroyed, the Wolves, Skulls, and Alvarez group would proceed to the nearby spaceport and capture the dropships that had deployed the strike force. Most likely, the ships would be powered down for resupply, and that would be the perfect moment to capture them all.

The fiery sun slowly crept up across its arc in the sky as the Wolves waited for the strike force to arrive, and Kyle felt himself growing sweaty in the hot, stifling air of his _Shadow Cat_'s cockpit. He idly tapped into Samantha's private comm. "Did you happen to notice all those open bars back at the Palais du Soleil?"

"The _what_?"

"Yeah. You didn't see them?" Kyle grinned. "I took a little tour as soon as I proved that I wasn't carrying weapons. There's all kinds of cold drinks over there, and more than a few with fruit flavors..."

Samantha laughed. "Damn it, Kyle, stop teasing me with thoughts of cold drinks all the time. Now I feel twice as thirsty."

"You're welcome."

"Jeez, you're such a naughty man."

"Hearing that form you, I'm actually kind of turned on..."

"Eyes up!" Nikolai barked, ending Kyle and Samantha's flirting. "The Estate strike force is coming. Stand by for orders."

A familiar voice entered the comm channel. "This is Hawk One. All teams stand by. Open fire on my command."

Two enemy companies of 'mechs and eight combat vehicles all made their way down the widest road, that ran through the desert. Most importantly, the Estate forces were headed right toward the Arctic Wolves, with the Screaming Skulls on their right flank and the Alvarez company on the left. Kyle took a look at the enemy forces: mostly medium and heavy 'mechs such as _Shadow Hawk_, _Uziel_, _Centurion_, and _Rifleman _designs. The vehicles were _Goblin _tanks with four _Glory _combat vehicles as escorts.

"Arctic Wolves, open fire!" Hawk One barked. At once, the _Marauder_s of the Arctic Wolves lurched forward, raising their blocky arm guns to fire. Vivid blue PPC beams pierced the air in a cris-cross pattern, catching the advancing Estate forces by surprise. Sparks and globs of molten armor flew off the Estate 'mechs everywhere, creating a spectacular light show as the Estate 'mechs lost their armor plating from the ranged attack. A second later, the top-mounted Autocannon 5 guns on the _Marauder_s spat out ballistic shells, and the weakened Estate forces recoiled from the ranged fire.

Kyle moved his _Shadow Cat _a few steps to the side, swiveling his right arm's huge Gauss Rifle barrel to aim at his targets. Locking his crosshairs on a wounded enemy _Rifleman_, Kyle squeezed his trigger tightly. His silver Gauss slug flashed through the air and a split second later, the _Rifleman _jerked and stumbled back as though kicked in the stomach. Sheets of torn armor fell off the 'mech's injured torso and smoke poured from the _Rifleman_'s damaged inner machinery. Meanwhile, Samantha's twin Light Gauss Rifle slugs gouged into a _Goblin _tank, blasting off its large laser turret in a torrent of fire and shredded metal.

"Fall back, past the dune!" Nikolai shouted as the Estate forces returned fire with a vengeance. Thick red laser beams from the _Goblin _tanks punished the Arctic Wolves, melting off tons of armor from the _Marauder_s. Kyle reversed his throttle and his _Shadow Cat _rapidly backed up across the dune, but a large laser slashed into his right torso, sending chunks of molten armor spilling to the dune. The 45-ton 'mech swayed from the awkward loss of mass, but Kyle fought his joysticks and got his 'mech steady again. Along with the other Arctic Wolves, Kyle slipped back behind the dune's top, creating a barrier between the Wolves and Estate forces.

"Screaming Skulls, go!" ordered Hawk One. Kyle watched the eight green dots of the Screaming Skulls on his radar break into motion, intercepting the charging Estate forces. The Estate 'mechs slowed to a halt to exchange fire with the newcomers, and then the Alvarez company moved in as well. Although the Skulls and Alvarez teams took heavy damage, they punished the Estate forces greatly with superior range.

Then, Nikolai received his next order: "Arctic Wolves, charge straight at the enemy force! Catch them from behind!"

Kyle grinned to himself when he realized the true meaning of that order. Hawk One wanted the Wolves to move and strike the Estate forces on the northwest flank, but the Estate forces who may be listening in would hear a different order. Nikolai started moving his 'mech into position with his fellow Arctic Wolves in tow, and Kyle marveled at the strange code system that Leonardo and Miguel had invented. Instead of using algorithms, the brothers would invent key words or phrases before a mission and explain the key words to Battlemech officers. The exact words and meanings would change with every mission, but before this operation, Nikolai had been told that with the code phrase "enemy force", Hawk One meant "northwest flank" instead of "the enemy's rear flank." If the officer had changed his mind and meant "the enemy's rear flank" after all, he would say "enemy forces" instead of "enemy force."

_What a peculiar but useful system, _Kyle thought as he and the other Wolves moved to position for the northwest flank. _Impossible to guess or find a pattern for, because there isn't one! Like at that battle for Heldav, when the enemy air force came from a different direction than expected. _As soon as the Arctic Wolves reached their position on top of a dune, Kyle saw that the Estate forces had shifted in anticipation of the Wolves attacking from their original position toward the Estate forces' rear flank. Instead, the Arctic Wolves rained down PPC fire from their vantage point, catching the huge Estate force completely off-guard. Kyle watched as enemy 'mechs succumbed to PPC fire, and the _Bushwacker_s and _Whitworth_s of the Screaming Skulls squad inflicted further damage. LRMs, large lasers, and Autocannon 10's from the Skulls hammered the Estate forces' left flank while the heavy LRM and large laser fire from the Alvarez company tore up the right flank.

"We could use some help here!" Harry Saxon of the Screaming Skulls demanded. A number of the Estate 'mechs shifted position to counter-flank the Skulls, and the eight Skulls 'mechs shrank back from the intense fire. The Alvarez company started taking more fire as well, retreating across a dune.

"We've got this," Nikolai told Saxon. A PPC streaked from his _Marauder_'s left arm, slashing into an enemy _Uziel _that was hammering a Skulls _Whitworth _with its SRM 6. Nikolai's Autocannon 5 peppered an Estate _Shadow Hawk _on the shoulder, throwing the 55-ton 'mech off balance. Kyle's Gauss Rifle slug punched into an Estate _Bushwacker_'s left arm, breaching the armor and tearing the myomer muscles within. The _Bushwacker_'s arm went limp a minute later.

_Damn it! _Kyle felt his 'mech getting rocked by LRM fire as the Estate forces made a push toward the Arctic Wolves. The four _Glory _tanks led the way, their LRM 15's and Rotary Autocannon 5's tearing at the armor of the twelve Arctic Wolves 'mechs. Vengeful PPCs streaked from the _Marauder_s, but the tough _Glory _tanks withstood the blows, losing their outer layers of armor but not taking any internal damage. One _Marauder _recoiled as swarms of LRMs from the _Glory _tanks pummeled it, and the 'mech collapsed to the sands, its right leg shearing off at the joint in a blast of flames and sparks. Sheets of metal crumpled and screeched loudly in protest from the strain, and the pilot ejected just in time to avoid a fiery death.

Half a dozen large lasers flew from the guns of the Alvarez 'mechs, stabbing a _Glory _from top to bottom. One hellish beam burned into the _Glory_'s left LRM 15 launcher, setting off the ammo inside. The internal LRMs exploded like a box of firecrackers, vaporizing the tank's RAC 5. Shrapnel from the explosions tore into nearby _Glory _and _Goblin _tanks, gouging off armor.

Although a Screaming Skulls 'mech soon went down, and an Alvarez 'mech succumbed to lasers and missiles from the Estate forces, the _Marauder_s of the Arctic Wolves unleashed a heavy volley to help even the odds. Autocannon 5's tore into the _Goblin _tanks, then PPC beams slashed into the damaged armor. A _Goblin _tank melted into a lump of molten armor and scorched treads from the heavy fire, and then Samantha's Light Gauss Rifles smashed apart the _Goblin _that she had damaged earlier.

The two other _Goblin _tanks returned fire with their large lasers, and the _Glory _tanks unleashed their Rotary Autocannon 5's and missiles, blasting off more armor and limbs from the _Marauder_s. Kyle gripped his joysticks tightly as RAC shells rattled his damaged _Shadow Cat_, and his damage tracker reported that his right torso and right arm were running dangerously thin on armor. Kyle tapped into the comm. "Sam, you doing all right?"

"Doing okay, I guess," Samantha responded tightly as enemy lasers boiled away the armor on her _Marauder_'s left leg and left torso. Her Light Gauss Rifles tore off the arm of an enemy _Shadow Hawk_, knocking over the 55-tonner.

"Look out! Another flanking move to the left!" Nikolai shouted on the comm. Kyle twisted on his torso and beheld a group of eight or so Estate 'mechs making a headlong charge toward the Arctic Wolves with all guns blazing.

_This could be good, _Kyle thought with amusement. He turned and lined up his crosshairs on an Estate _Uziel_ and squeezed his trigger. The right arm of his _Shadow Cat _spat out a silver ball that punched right into the _Uziel_'s center torso, causing the 'mech to stumble and sprawl onto its side, tumbling awkwardly down the dune with loud groans of strained armor. Meanwhile, Fury's hulking _Atlas _lumbered forward to meet the attackers, raising its huge guns.

"Bad idea, guys," Fury taunted the Estate forces as he opened fire. His two arm-mounted LBX-10 guns roared to life, showering an enemy _Hunchback _with heavy fire, shattering armor all over the medium 'mech. Thomas' customized _Marauder _fired next, its SRM 6 launchers pummeling the wounded _Hunchback _with explosions. Amazingly, the rugged 'mech stayed standing despite losing all its chest armor and its left arm. The 'mech's trademark Autocannon 20 unleashed its payload, and the ballistic shells ripped into the right torso of Fury's _Atlas_. The 100-ton 'mech stumbled back a step, but then the 'mech regained its composure and returned fire with its own Autocannon 20. This time, the _Hunchback _collapsed from the heavy fire and stayed down.

A damaged Estate _Shadow Hawk _pounced on Kyle's _Shadow Cat_, and the 55-tonner's SRM 2 and medium laser pelted the legs of Kyle's 'mech. Enduring the damage, Kyle realized that the enemy 'mech was too close for a Gauss Rifle shot, so instead, he squeezed a different trigger. His three torso-mounted ER medium lasers raked the _Shadow Hawk_, slashing off its torso armor with hellish heat. Samantha joined the fray, the medium lasers installed in her _Marauder_'s torso stabbing into the _Shadow Hawk_'s torso. The _Shadow Hawk _burst into flames, crumpling into scorched pieces.

With a sudden blast, another Arctic Wolves _Marauder _went down, taking a cluster of LRMs to the back. The 75-ton 'mech fell flat to its face, the pilot ejecting from his ruined mount. Kyle whirled around and beheld the surviving _Glory _tanks rolling toward the Arctic Wolves for an ambush from behind. However, the tank assault stopped cold when the Screaming Skulls 'mechs intercepted the tanks, showering them in LRMs and Autocannon fire. One _Glory _succumbed to the missile fire, then another and another. Harry Saxon's _Bushwacker _led the way, its large laser and Autocannon 10 tearing into the Estate tanks and 'mechs. The surviving Alvarez 'mechs joined the fray a minute later, then the battlefield at last fell silent. Dozens of scorched, shattered 'mechs and tanks lay across the dunes and lowlands, and Kyle did a quick head count: seven Arctic Wolves still stood, five Screaming Skulls remained operational, and seven Alvarez 'mechs survived.

"Surprisingly low casualties," Nikolai commented. "Considering the odds we were against."

"The Vargas Estate troops do not have the same motivation or high-quality training that the Alvarez County forces do," Hawk One said firmly. "And we pushed our range advantage to the maximum. Now follow me. We must reach the spaceport down the road and capture the dropships before they can power up and get their weapons online."

Not anxious to fight a fully-armed dropship in this condition, Kyle quickly followed everyone else down the road and toward the spaceport. He felt exhausted and sweaty in his cockpit, but he survived the battle, and that was good enough for him.

Two dropships came into view a few minutes later, both parked at a small spaceport further down the road. There stood the _Fortress_-class dropship, the _Hunter's Insight_, and next to it was a _Union_-class dropship. Supply trucks drove all around the spaceport and the bay doors of both dropships were open. As soon as the Arctic Wolves, Screaming Skulls, and Alvarez forces reached the spaceport's territory, Hawk One demanded on the open comm, "Surrender at once! You have no escape. Those dropships will be claimed for the Alvarez County's armed forces."

A voice responded, "This is spaceport control. Two companies of 'mechs and support vehicles are in the area. That is your only warning."

"They're already taken care of," Hawk One retorted as the Wolves, Skulls, and Alvarez 'mechs walked forward and surrounded the dropships. The supply trucks shrank away, but the dropships didn't make a single move. Luckily, they were indeed powered down and helpless.

Nikolai entered the comm next using his nickname. "This is Boss to _Hunter's Insight _command. Are those my fellow Arctic Wolves in there?"

The voice of an Arctic Wolves support staff responded, "Yes, Boss. What is happening? Why are you fighting with the Alvarez County?"

"Change of plans," Nikolai answered grimly. "Alfonso Vargas has gone too far, and the Alvarez County is paying me well to take down that tyrant. The _Hunter's Insight _is one of the pack. Wherever the Arctic Wolves go, it goes."

"Copy that, Boss," came the staff member's voice. "We're with you. We have no choice anyway: if we say no, you blast our engines. But you should know that that we were loaning this ship to the Vargas Estate for a fee. We need the money."

"There will be future contracts on other worlds," Nikolai said simply. "But the Alvarez County already captured us twelve Mechwarriors, and now we've got the _Hunter's Insight_. For the rest of this war, the Vargas Estate is a hostile faction."

"I copy that, Boss. Just lead the way."


	13. Chapter 12 A Little Promise

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 12: A Little Promise**

_**Oasis reserve, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 25, 3075**_

"I've heard of these oasis reserves, Carlos, but I didn't think they'd be this nice!" Cassandra Goyua exclaimed as she and Carlos Vargas stepped down the ramp of an Estate-owned _Monarch_-class civilian dropship along with the other passengers.

"I know, the brochures don't do them justice," Carlos agreed, taking Cassandra's hand as he led her to a waiting car. Beyond this small spaceport sprawled a circular, lake-sized oasis that had banks of white sand, grasses, and even small groves of trees. Neighborhoods circled around the oasis and a hotel, numerous restaurants, and other civilian comforts were available too. The warm morning sun and cool, damp breeze made Cassandra feel even more relaxed as she and Carlos climbed into the car.

After a ten-minute drive, the car's driver took the passengers to one of the larger houses, a three-story mini-mansion owned by the Vargas family that had a large porch that overlooked the oasis's shores. Carlos led his girlfriend through the spacious, well-lit house, the both of them unpacking and settling on lawn chairs on the wooden back porch.

"Wow, this is the life," Cassandra commented as she stretched out, feeling the sun on her skin. "I can't believe I didn't come here the last time I was on Korla."

"True," Carlos agreed. "And to think that you and the Arctic Wolves were here for five months last year! There was more than enough time."

"I suppose," Cassandra nodded, suddenly feeling a little drowsy. She wore a simple sleeveless shirt with denim shorts and sandals, but she kicked off he sandals and flexed her toes, wondering how jealous Lyla would be about this. "I just hope that Kyle and Nikolai and the others are okay. Are you sure that there's no news?"

Carlos looked slightly off-put about talking about the Wolves, but he sighed and said, "Nothing at all. They're still just MIA. In fact, there seems to be a bit of a news blackout going on."

"Ever since the insurrection war in Bhujorba City..."

"Right." Carlos looked up at the sky in thought. "Just what is my father doing? He's never been like this before. People used to think he was the paragon of generosity and goodwill! Plus, he's not really talking to me anymore. I don't think he talks to much of anybody except that General Abby."

Cassandra shivered despite the warmth. "Just what are we getting ourselves into?"

"Or rather, what is my father getting his officers into," Carlos figured, getting to his feet with a quick smile. "But it doesn't have to ruin life for us, really. I've still got my arena match coming up on the 27th and you've got your own work. Still enjoying the accommodations of the 'mech hangar?"

"Mmmmm, yeah. I even completed part of my _Jouster _prototype," Cassandra told him. "Built the head recently." She pointed at Carlos with a confident grin. "Now you'd better win that tournament so I can have a full prototype on the field!"

"That trophy is mine," Carlos declared, folding his arms. "Maybe then Alphonse might like me a little bit. He still seems... a little distant around me."

"Oh, relax. He just feels like the little fish among the techs, so it gets him a little down. But he'll get past that."

"Great." Carlos wandered to the glass sliding doors. "Can I get you anything? Name a drink, and I've got it."

"Strawberry-kiwi juice, then. Nice and cold."

"Coming up." Carlos vanished into the house, leaving Cassandra alone with the sun, lush oasis view, and cool breeze. She closed her eyes and tried to let her thoughts wander, but her mind latched onto Alphonse. He was a great tech, to be sure, but it seemed like there was something else too, something other than his envy toward Carlos' popularity. She remembered Al's behavior at the 200th anniversary party of the Vargas Estate, how he had tried to win her over from Carlos.

Cassandra vividly remembered what Alphonse had said in his semi-drunk state... _"Nah, forget him. He's a little boring, don't you think? Nothing but arena training and coasting on his dad's wealth." _What a rude thing to say, Cassandra figured. But what if Al wasn't just being petty? After all, Alphonse certainly had passion to expand his life and try new things, something she admired greatly. That was one reason that Nikolai had allowed Al to join the Arctic Wolves as an intern tech.

Making a frustrated noise, Cassandra popped her eyes open. What was she thinking? She shouldn't have to choose between Alphonse or Carlos! Although Alphonse was a great guy, Carlos was special to her, and she knew it from the minute she had met him here on Korla in 3074. But still, as Al had said, _"I'm trying to make my own fortune here. I gave up college football to pursue mechanics, my second passion, and travel with you to learn about it." _That much was true, Al had his future planned out and squared away. Carlos had his arena tournament to work on... but then what?

"Here you are," Carlos announced, handing Cassandra a condensation-slick glass with light red liquid. "The best there is. I'm a lemonade person, myself. The gentle sourness tastes great to me. Call me weird." He stretched out on his lawn chair with his drink.

Cassandra chuckled. "You're weird." Then her face settled. "Hey, I wondered something... when you win the arena tournament, what do you want to do? Maybe test-pilot the _Jouster_? It could be fun."

"As long as the darn thing handles at least a little like my _Shadow Hawk_," Carlos figured. "How much does it weigh again?"

"70 tons, but it has jump jets and packs long-range weaponry," Cassandra told him. "I've got all the blueprints in my workspace. But really..." she smiled, looking over at Carlos. "What do you want to do later on? Not fight on the front lines, I hope."

"My dad didn't raise me to be a soldier," Carlos shrugged. "Arenas are safer, more regulated than a battlefield. No artillery or airstrikes or mines. Those Alvarez goons love their landmines. Costs my dad's armed forces dearly."

Aware that Carlos was evading the topic, Cassandra took a deep breath and plunged into the heart of the matter. "You know, there's more room on the _Hunter's Insight_. Why don't you come with me and see new stuff? It's a big world out there, Carlos, and I've now been to Korla twice. Your turn to do the visiting."

Carlos made an uncomfortable face. "Um... I dunno. I'm pretty involved with my dad's household."

"But your arena tournament will be over in mid-September. What else is there?"

"I just..." Carlos sighed, trying to think. "Wandering isn't really for me. Korla is my home."

Cassandra took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, but my home planet, Meadow, is at least four jumps away from here and I feel totally fine. I get the chance to visit many worlds and make many friends, from Lane Farlow and his wife Jennifer to a Kuritan named Makoto who has a strong sense of loyalty to family."

Carlos laughed. "Then I'm another Makoto. The Vargas family is the place for me!" His face fell. "But really, my oldest brother Ricardo is being prepared to succeed my father within a year, and I'll have to remain here to help run the Estate. Besides..." Now he looked uncomfortable. "I don't think I'd be well-suited for the life of a mercenary or traveler. I'm only useful for arena fighting and working with my family's business. I don't have enough to qualify traveling."

"Well... I guess so..." Cassandra felt her insides churn. _I think he's right. He can't come with me anywhere, since he's so tied down here. Korla needs him._

"Really, Cassie, you don't have to worry," Carlos assured her. "I have to prepare for my upcoming arena battles, and I've got you with me, sweetheart. That's enough for me."

"Yeah. Enough for me too," Cassandra smiled again, but she turned away from Carlos to hide her concerned expression. _Was Alphonse right after all? Carlos doesn't seem that interested in family business and he doesn't seem to have any ambitions besides arena fighting. I've never really considered this side of Carlos that seriously._

"How about this," Carlos offered. "I promise to you that no matter what happens, we'll be together and everything will be fine."

Cassandra didn't look back at Carlos. "Yeah. I'll make a little promise. Whatever happens, I'll be ready for it too." _But at this rate, Carlos might not be ready for it._

*o*o*o*o*

_**Palais du Soleil, Laurent Commonwealth, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 25, 3075**_

A single _Monarch_-class dropship sat on the landing pad on the Palais du Soleil's grounds, its engines warming up and steam jets hissing from its side ports. Clad in a simple uniform with a pistol and knife secured on his belt, Kyle Goyua walked with the other Mechwarriors of the Arctic Wolves mercenaries from a transport car toward the waiting dropship. Ahead of the Wolves walked four Alvarez County bodyguards escorting four men and two women who wore dress uniforms and carried briefcases.

"Stop here," commanded one of the County guards, and everyone halted. "I will review the mission details one more time. Leonardo and Miguel have decided that the Klein Federation has remained neutral for long enough. No doubt that Alfonso Vargas will try to gain the Klein family's favor with promises of wealth and technology pretty soon, and the Alvarez brothers can't afford to have any more enemies. Arctic Wolves, all twelve of you are assigned to keep this diplomatic team safe at all costs. I'm aware of your qualifications and if the Alvarez brothers want this to happen, then it will. The dropship ride to the Federation will be quick and safe... but when you get there, prepare for the isolationists to make a move."

Kyle knew exactly what the man was talking about. Some leaders of the Klein Federation wanted to help take down the Vargas Estate, but going to war put the small Federation at risk, and many of the civilians had taken up arms to prevent the Federation from going to war. No doubt that the Alvarez diplomatic team would come under fire, possibly literally, for asking the Klein family to take up arms against the Vargas family. Still... Leonardo and Miguel had assigned four of their toughest, most capable guards to come along as well, the better to keep the Arctic Wolves in line.

"_If we get the Klein family on our side before the Vargas family can recruit them, we'll be in a position to take the fight to the Vargas Estate and possibly capture the Vargas family mansion," _Leonardo had told the Arctic Wolves. _"And that would mean the end of our interesting partnership, and of course, all you Wolves will be free to go on your way. We all want the same thing. Let's get out there and get some work done."_

"I can't believe that we're being used as bodyguards," Samantha complained quietly to Kyle.

"Well, we all have extensive physical training, and the Alvarez brothers know it," Kyle muttered back. "Besides, maybe showing our faces to the Klein family could help."

Samantha perked up. "Show the Kleins how we Wolves came to our senses and joined the Alvarez forces? That the Alvarez brothers are indeed worth fighting for at any cost?"

"That's what I was thinking," Kyle nodded as the Wolves and the diplomats boarded the dropship's ramp. "But I might be wrong. The Kleins might just look down on mercenaries. We were offered money to fight for the Alvarez brothers, after all."

"Maybe you're over-thinking it," Samantha huffed. "If we get the Kleins to join us, then we'll be in a position to end the war. That's good enough for me. I can't wait to leave this world."

"Neither can I."


	14. Chapter 13 Sinking Feeling

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 13: Sinking Feeling**

_**Desert arena, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 27, 3075**_

Feeling comfortable in the warm cockpit of his _Shadow Hawk_, Carlos Vargas double-checked that his neuro-helmet was securely wired to his 'mech's systems, then pressed his foot onto the acceleration pedal. The 55-ton 'mech lurched and broke into a trot toward Carlos' designated starting spot in the sandy arena, the late afternoon sun watching on the horizon like a glowing eye. Breathing in deep, Carlos tried to calm his mind as he heard the announcer welcome everyone to this semi-finals match. _Just do it by the book. This match should be no different than any other. And once I win, I'll get my spot in the final game! I'm here to make Korla desert arena history._

Still, Carlos glanced at the photograph of Cassandra Goyua that he had in the cockpit and he got a cold, sinking feeling in his gut. _Something's not right. Ever since she and I got back from the oasis trip, she's been acting distant toward me. It seems like something is bothering her, but what could it be?_

Forcing such issues from his mind, Carlos gripped his joysticks tightly and settled his 'mech into position, his heart already hammering from excitement. Here, in the arena, his expertise and skill came into play and it made him feel powerful. Plus, his opponent didn't seem like much to be afraid of: just an _Enfield _painted blue and black with gold highlights. Making a quick scan, Carlos confirmed that this 'mech had the standard weapons: an LBX-10 in the right arm, along with a large pulse laser in the left torso. Two medium lasers and a small laser in the torso rounded out the 'mech's weaponry.

"Let the match begin!" the announcer boomed, and Carlos immediately dropped his crosshairs onto the enemy 'mech and waited for a target lock. _This guy made a big mistake, painting his 'mech so it stands out so easily. He has no idea what he's doing! And he'll have to get much closer to me in order to deal damage. I've got the range here._

As soon as Carlos' reticule achieved a target lock, Carlos confidently squeezed his trigger. Fifteen LRMs roared out of his _Shadow Hawk_'s right shoulder and raced toward the _Enfield_. The _Enfield _broke out into a full spring, pumping its arms as it tore across the dunes toward its foe. It didn't even flinch at the incoming LRMs and Carlos soon found out why: a sharp crackle of bullets signaled the presence of at least one AMS installed into the 'mech. And judging by how many LRMs were shot down, the _Enfield _probably had two AMS machines stuck into it. Only six LRMs reached the target, blasting off a little armor from the _Enfield_'s center torso.

Getting within 350 meters' distance, the _Enfield _raised its right arm and let loose with an LBX-10 volley. Carlos wrenched his joysticks to the side, quickly scampering to the left. Most of the shotgun-like LBX rounds hissed through empty air, but a few rounds caught the _Shadow Hawk _on its arm, and the kinetic force threw the _Shadow Hawk _off-balance. The _Enfield _lit up with its laser batteries, its twin medium lasers raking armor off the _Shadow Hawk_'s left torso. A second later, the _Enfield_'s large pulse laser hammered the _Shadow Hawk _with countless thick laser bolts, melting armor off the 55-ton 'mech from head to toe.

Furious, Carlos raised his 'mech's arms and triggered his two wrist-mounted ER medium lasers. Both red beams stabbed into the _Enfield_'s right torso, but the 50-ton 'mech took the attack in stride and hit back. Another LBX-10 volley raced through the air, and this time the _Shadow Hawk _took the full brunt of the assault on the torso. Carlos hung on tightly to his joysticks as he was thrown back and forth in his cockpit, his head aching from being thrown around. His whole 'mech wobbled and creaked loudly in protest, flakes of armor flying everywhere. Slamming his feet on his pedals, Carlos triggered his 'mech's jump jets, feeling himself get shoved into his seat by the G-forces. His move was just in time: the _Enfield _must have flushed its coolant, because it fired again with all of its lasers. However, the lasers slashed through the empty air where the _Shadow Hawk _had stood.

Drifting up and away from his foe, Carlos swept his crosshairs downwards on his ground-based target, squeezing a different trigger. This time, the Ultra Autocannon 5 on his 'mech's left shoulder came to life, throwing shells down at the waiting _Enfield_. The _Enfield _shuddered and backed up a step from the impact, and Carlos quickly fired again, taking advantage of the UAC 5's short recycle delay. Once again the _Enfield _shuddered as the shells raked its shoulders, but now the 50-ton 'mech ran after the flying _Shadow Hawk_, daring Carlos to land.

Carlos knew that he had to keep far away from the _Enfield _to press his advantage, but his jump jets wouldn't hold out much longer and he'd have to use his remaining jump jet fuel to control his landing. So, Carlos flung his LRMs at the _Enfield _as a distraction, then drifted toward a nearby, tall dune as a landing spot. While the _Enfield_'s twin AMS machines worked on the LRMs, Carlos guided his _Shadow Hawk _closer to the dune, praying that his jump jet fuel would hold out. Luckily, his 'mech's feet landed securely on the dune's top while a fifth of the jump jet fuel remained.

Unfortunately, the _Enfield _was waiting for this moment.

"Damn it!" Carlos blurted as the 50-ton 'mech marched up within 50 meters' distance. Carlos crouched his _Shadow Hawk _as the _Enfield _fired up its LBX-10, and the shotgun-like shells roared over the _Shadow Hawk_'s head. However, the _Enfield_'s large pulse laser peppered the _Shadow Hawk_'s arms, wearing the armor dangerously thin. Carlos realized grimly that if his arms' titanium bones or myomer muscles were lost, he'd be cut off from his only energy weapons. He quickly stood up straight and hastily shot back with his ER medium lasers. One laser went wide while the other one drilled into the _Enfield_'s left torso, causing a little molten armor to ooze to the sand.

The _Enfield _backed up a step and started running circles around the _Shadow Hawk_, making sure to stay close in order to render Carlos' LRMs completely useless. Carlos pushed his throttle to maximum and broke out of the _Enfield_'s trap, holding fire in favor of repositioning. The _Enfield_, frustrated, whirled around and fired its medium lasers, but both bolts went wide and shot through empty air. Using his jump jets to strafe backwards, Carlos triggered his UAC again, chipping more armor off the _Enfield_'s right torso. Then Carlos triggered his lasers again, and both bolts punished the _Enfield_'s center torso, wearing the armor thin.

Infuriated, the _Enfield_'s pilot fired a few large pulse laser bolts at the retreating _Shadow Hawk_, but the bolts went wide. However, the lasers proved to be only a distraction: the _Enfield_'s LBX-10 roared to life, and its shells sheared off the _Shadow Hawk_'s arm at the shoulder with a shower of sparks, smoke, and torn myomer muscles.

_And there goes one laser! _Carlos realized grimly, his stomach churning as his whole 'mech swayed from the loss of mass. He watched the _Enfield _confidently march forward, the sinking feeling in his gut intensifying. _Was I wrong? Will I just be a footnote in desert arena history after all?_

Then a thought occurred to him. _I still have a way out of this! _Carlos swallowed tightly as he swept his reticule on his opponent, taking careful aim and firing. His UAC 5 shells smashed into the _Enfield_'s right shoulder, blasting off even more armor. For good measure, Carlos triggered his LRM 15 as well, feeling a wave of heat wash through his cockpit. Carlos grimaced against the heat, feeling sweat bead on his skin. Still, the missiles did their work: although only a few of them actually hit the _Enfield_, their kinetic force kept the _Enfield _staggering back. Another UAC 5 blast punched into the _Enfield_'s right shoulder, breaking through the armor and throwing the _Enfield _even further off-balance. Carlos' remaining ER medium laser also stabbed into the _Enfield_'s left shoulder, and this time a blast of sparks and fire flew from the injury. One last UAC 5 blast sheared off the _Enfield_'s right arm, and the limb fell heavily to the dunes, rolling away.

The _Enfield_'s inner gyro was finally overwhelmed, and the 50-ton 'mech lurched as though drunk and fell flat onto its back. Getting another idea, Carlos sprinted forward, quickly closing the distance between him and his downed foe. The _Enfield _was already struggling to get back up, but with only one arm, the 'mech kept falling back down. Firing up his jump jets, Carlos landed right on top of the _Enfield_, planting his 'mech's feet close to the _Enfield_. Aiming his remaining ER medium laser at the _Enfield_'s cockpit, Carlos wordlessly dared his opponent to eject or face certain death. Carlos was rewarded by the _Enfield_'s cockpit roaring out of the 'mech's head on its thruster jets, and the victory horn sounded as the audience exploded into cheers.

"And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen! Carlos Vargas was earned his place in the finals match!" boomed the announcer. "The winner of our next match will be Carlos' final opponent, but for now, Mr. Vargas is free to go home and rest. He has certainly earned it!"

_Yeah, really, _Carlos thought with fatigue, slumping in his command couch. _And after that, the championship trophy is mine!_


	15. Chapter 14 Bump in the Night

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 14: Bump in the Night**

_**Downtown, Eisenton, Klein Federation, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**August 30, 3075**_

The Alvarez County diplomats had arrived in the Klein Federation's capital city of Eisenton right on schedule, on August 27th, but the Klein family needed more time to fully arrange the negotiations at the city hall. For that reason, the Alvarez diplomats and their sixteen bodyguards all rented rooms at the Triple Tree hotel in Eisenton's downtown area, and the bodyguards used rotating shifts to watch over the diplomats' rooms while the diplomats prepared their papers and arguments for the Klein family's leaders.

Each of the six diplomats had gotten a different room; if any civilian rebels tried an attack, they wouldn't be able to break into a single room and slaughter all the diplomats. Nikolai liked the strategy, not wanting to put all the eggs in one basket.

"I would be enjoying my first trip to the Klein Federation, but we've been stuck in this hotel the whole time, watching over the diplomats," lamented Kyle Goyua at the hotel's bar. The analogue clock ticked on the wall, reading 11:53 PM. There was no one else in the bar except for the bartender and Samantha Smith, who sat next to Kyle.

"Maybe we'll come back after the war as tourists," offered Samantha lightly, taking a sip of her lemonade. The Alvarez bodyguards had strictly banned the guard team from consuming any alcohol during their breaks. "You know, there's this huge fountain somewhere here, in the downtown region."

"Great. Somewhere fancy to splash myself in," Kyle joked, taking a sip of his own drink, a strawberry-kiwi fruit punch.

"Actually, I think it's only kids who do that..." Samantha smirked.

"I was only kidding, sheesh." Kyle checked the clock again. "It's going to be our shift again at midnight, right?"

Samantha looked at the clock too. "Yeah. We will watch over rooms 301-303 on the third floor. Ugh, I hate babysitting jobs."

"What, you don't like kids?" Kyle teased, feeling drowsy. He wished the Klein family would hurry up with the upcoming talks. He wanted to be back on the front lines and taking the fight to the Vargas Estate forces.

"I actually did a few babysitting jobs when I was a kid," Samantha offered. "It's easy work as long as the kids don't act up. Helped me afford stuff."

Kyle made a small smile. "You never told me about that."

"'Cause it's minor. Who cares if I watched over a few brats when I was younger?" Samantha laughed.

"Teaches responsibility, you know."

"Yeah, but not the kind I like."

"Something tells me you'll never give up the warrior's life to become a homemaker."

"Kyle!" Samantha gave Kyle a playful swat on the arm. "You know me better than that. Aiming down my sights at a target on some faraway world is a much better thrill than settling into some cottage with a white picket fence."

"Apartments are cheaper..."

Samantha chuckled, draining her lemonade glass. She set it on the counter with a _thunk_. "Oh, you know what I mean. The _Hunter's Insight _is the only home I want. It's roomier than the _Union_-class ship we used to have. On the _Insight_, I can actually walk three steps in my private quarters without running into something!"

"Thank goodness for little luxuries!" Kyle shared Samantha's laugh. He couldn't help but remember a question that had been burning in the back of his mind for a while, however. He lowered his voice, leaning a little closer to Samantha. "Hey Sam, I've been thinking..."

"That the Alvarez guard captain is full of crap and that we should sneak in a few beers?"

Kyle shook his head. "No, not that. Look, I, um... well, I was thinking that sometime, that cottage or apartment idea wouldn't be so bad to consider seriously. Not in the near future, but sometime."

Samantha gave Kyle a calculating look with her amber eyes. "You really do want to settle down?"

"Sometime, yeah. Not soon," Kyle added quickly. "After all, we're only 23..."

"And so we should live it up," Samantha declared, stretching her arms and yawning. "The best part of our lives is just starting. We've got a great dropship and with the Word of Blake's Jihad raging, we've pretty much grown our own magic contract tree. We'll have plenty of work."

"I know, but..." Kyle fought for the right words, not wanting to sound like he was nagging. "I love you, Sam, and I think we both deserve a little time to ourselves. It could be nice."

"You're not tricking me into the sack _that _easily, hon," Samantha smiled, motioning for another lemonade.

"What I mean is," Kyle plowed on, abandoning all pretense, "is I'm considering proposing to you." He then inwardly grimaced, wondering if he went too far. He could already feel his face warming.

Samantha froze, then a small smile spread across her lips. She blushed. "Planning to pop the question, Kyle?"

"Well, there goes the suspense," Kyle grinned again, relieved that Samantha didn't object immediately. "I haven't made any concrete plans. But I can say that I definitely want to spend the rest of my life to you. I think I'm ready."

"Guess what I'll be up all night thinking about," Samantha chuckled softly. She scooted her new lemonade glass close to her but didn't take a drink. She stared down at her glass. "Oh, I dunno, Kyle. I love you, I mean it. But I don't know if marrying is practical for us. There's always long-term plans, and who knows how things might change, but I don't think we will have a solid ground to put a marriage on for a while."

Feeling his stomach go cold, Kyle nodded mutely and stared at the counter's surface. "I suppose you're right. Besides, you've been with the Arctic Wolves longer than me. Nikolai's defensive of all his longstanding members." He lightened up a little. "I wonder if he'd slug me a good one if I tried to run off with you!"

Samantha burst out laughing. "No, but you're not far from the mark. This would give him a lot to think about."

"Then never mind. It was a bad idea," Kyle mumbled, looking away.

"Hey." Samantha tapped Kyle's shoulder and he turned to face her. "Don't you start talking like that, Kyle. I love the idea of being with you forever. Look, I don't know yet how we can work out a married life, but hang on to that thought!"

Samantha leaned over, gently took Kyle's head in her hands, and kissed him. "I think it's very sweet of you to seriously consider this, and I'm not trying to shoot you down," she told him. "Let's just sit tight and see what life brings us, okay? Stay with me, and we'll work something out. Together."

A small cluster of people strode into the front lobby nearby, but Kyle ignored them as he squeezed Samantha's warm hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Sam. You're right. Why don't we wait and see what's in the cards."

More people wearing cloaks shuffled in the front doors, following the first group. They bypassed the clerks and went into the elevators, and then Kyle and Sam were alone again.

"Crap, it's 12:04. The guard captain will have our heads for this," Samantha realized, checking the clock again. She set a few C-Bills on the counter to cover her drinks and sprang to her feet, headed toward the elevators. "Come on."

"Yeah." Kyle set a few of his own bills on the counter and followed, wondering what viable excuse he could give the guard captain. The elevator ride up to the 3rd floor was uneventful, but as soon as the steel doors slid open, he realized that all of the newcomers were on this floor too, and they were taking off all their cloaks.

Kyle turned to the large group of guests. "Um... hi. Listen, Samantha and I are part of a guard team for several important people here. We will be patrolling the hallways for any danger, but don't mind us."

The man at the head of the group chuckled deeply, dropping his cloak to the floor to reveal a bulletproof vest he wore over his white T-shirt. "I know why you're here, Arctic Wolf," he declared, reaching for a pistol on his belt. "Those diplomats won't leave here alive, and neither will you." The other people wore bulletproof vests as well, and they all reached for their holstered weapons.

His nerves suddenly tingling, Kyle dropped his hand to his waist where he had two heavy pistols, but he and Samantha were forced to retreat behind the bend of the hallway when the assassins opened fire. Kyle winced as countless loud booms vibrated in the air, and he heard the thunks of the bullets slamming into the wall that he used for cover. Clouds of plaster puffed out into the air from the bullet holes, blocking Kyle's view of the assassins.

"Damn it!" Samantha drew her light submachine gun and raised it to a ready position, her face scrunched in concentration. "They must be the isolationist rebels that we were briefed about!"

"And a lot of them!" Kyle added. "The rest of the guards better get here or we're screwed."

At that moment, Kyle heard alarmed shouts farther down the hallway and he heard machine guns and pistols open fire with a cacophony of rattles and booms. The assassins scattered, taking cover behind large potted plants and the pillars that supported the wide, luxurious hallways.

"Kyle! Sam!" Thomas Jones of the Arctic Wolves came from around the corner, joining his two fellows. He held his submachine gun at the ready. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Kyle shook his head. "We just got here and found the assassins in the hallway. They just came in through the front lobby, all wearing cloaks to hide their bulletproof vests and weapons. It's just like we were warned: some folks of the Klein Federation don't want us dragging the Federation into the war against the Vargas Estate."

"And they pulled this stunt at _this _hour, when we're all tired," Samantha added. "Looks like some things _do _go bump in the night."

Thomas nodded tightly. "Yeah, I guess. Move out!"

Kyle flattened his back on the wall and crept toward the corner, snapping out of cover with his pistols raised. One of the assassins had his back to Kyle, and two quick shots to the head sent the man crumpling to the carpeted floor in a pool of blood. Several of the assassins had already gone down, but a few of the Arctic Wolves lay bleeding on the floor, and the sight infuriated Kyle. He unloaded several point-blank shots into another assassin, but the man's bulletproof vest blocked the worst of the damage.

Still, the man was thrown back and against the wall, his face scrunched in pain. Samantha stepped into the fray, lining up her submachine gun's sights and releasing a quick burst. The man's neck and collarbone shattered and he slumped limply to the floor.

Three of the assassins turned and opened fire on Kyle, Sam, and Thomas. Kyle made a quick roll to avoid the shots, but as soon as he came to a halt to stand back up, he felt a bullet graze his right shoulder. A blast of pain staggered him and he numbly dropped his right pistol, his breaths coming in sharp gasps.

Samantha rushed to Kyle's aid, overwhelming Kyle's attacker with another burst of bullets. The assassin collapsed while the other two forced Thomas back. Samantha knelt by Kyle's side, taking hold of his good arm and dragging him into an intersecting hallway.

"How bad is it?" Samantha asked urgently, carefully probing the wound.

"Not too bad- ouch!" Kyle hissed as Samantha's fingers grazed his tattered flesh. Samantha jerked her hands back, then she unrolled a small medical bandage from her belt and wrapped it around Kyle's upper arm and shoulder.

"This will hold you until later," Samantha told Kyle earnestly, then rushed back toward the first hallway and raised her weapon to fire. Before she could fire a single shot, Thomas Jones rapidly fired two burst from his own submachine gun, downing both nearby assassins. A few seconds later, the other Arctic Wolves and the four Alvarez guards finished off the last of the assassins, and a ringing silence settled over the bloody and gunpowder-fogged hallway.

"Casualties?" demanded the Alvarez guard captain.

"I've got four men down, but none dead. We can save them if we rush them to a hospital," Nikolai told him, kneeling by the wounded Arctic Wolves to check.

The guard captain nodded. "Very well. These Klein Federation rebels are ballsier than I imagined, but this should discourage any further attacks on their part. Men, check the bodies."

Kyle settled against the wall, taking deep and slow breaths to calm his racing heart. He watched as the Alvarez guards picked through the assassins' bloody bodies, and one of them held up a small comm device. "Sir! I found something."

"Let me see that." The guard captain accepted the device and played the most recent recorded conversation on it.

"_Sir, the Alvarez diplomats have arrived at a hotel in Eisenton and they have bodyguards. Do we still proceed with the plan?" _spoke a man's voice.

"_Yes, Juan. Remember, make sure this looks like a Federation rebel raid," _said another man's voice._ "Mr. Vargas wants those diplomats dead. We can't afford to have the Federation join the Alvarez County's side. The guards should be no match for you."_

Nikolai exchanged awestruck looks with the guard captain. "Alfonso Vargas arranged this little party! He's striking at non-combatants!"

"He'll go to any length to get what he wants," the guard captain said gruffly. "I should have figured this would happen. Still, this gives us a little leverage. We're the victims of a dirty raid, and I bet that the Klein family will decry Alfonso Vargas for this. Makes our job a little easier."

After the hotel's staff was contacted and informed about the incident, the wounded Arctic Wolves, including Kyle, were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. With any luck, all of them would recover in time to resume the war against the Vargas Estate, preferably with the Klein Federation's forces at their side.

*o*o*o*o*

_**City Hall, Eisenton, Klein Federation, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 1, 3075**_

The interior of the City Hall in Eisenton wasn't as lavish as the family mansion back at the Vargas Estate, but Nikolai supposed that that wasn't such a bad thing. At the very least, he appreciated people who didn't feel the need to throw their wealth around and show it off. He and some of the other Arctic Wolves stood inside the spacious meeting room, where the Alvarez diplomats and the Klein negotiators met face-to-face. Standing with his back to a wall and a submachine gun holstered at his hip, Nikolai did his best to look stern rather than bored.

"Let us get down to business, then," announced one of the Klein negotiators, an older man with graying hair. "I understand that the Alvarez County's leaders and the Laurent family is proposing an alliance?"

"That is correct," responded one of the six Alvarez diplomats. "For nothing less than the survival of our nations."

"You do realize that you're asking the peaceful Klein Federation to throw itself into the fire for the sake of your displaced nation?" retorted the Klein negotiator. "Never once in its history has the Federation needed to go to war in order to achieve its aims."

"But that doesn't stop the Kleins from maintaining a sizable army," countered another Alvarez diplomat, a brunette woman.

"For defense, and defense only," argued another Klein negotiator. "President Hans Klein has always maintained good relations with his neighbors for the benefit of his nation and those around it. We're not war hawks."

The first Alvarez diplomat's tone grew impatient. "The Vargas Estate will force your hand sooner or later! Alfonso Vargas and his General Abby won't stop until they're conquered all of Korla. We've never faced a threat like this one before, and if the Kleins can't adjust their methods for this new threat, then I'll wager that the Vargas family banner will be flying in this city within a year!"

"Conjecture," said the elderly Klein negotiator, but a hint of anxiety crept into his voice. "That cannot be known for certain. And if Alfonso Vargas' forces do attempt to invade the Federation, we will be ready. We have allies."

"Not ready enough," argued the Alvarez woman. "The Vargas Estate isn't alone either. It not only has its official allied nations, but Alfonso Vargas also can use the materials from all the nations he has conquered. Already, tanks and Battlemechs from the Bhujorba Protectorate are appearing in his forces. The longer you let Alfonso Vargas run free, the tougher he will be to take down."

"That is correct," added another Alvarez diplomat. "Right now is our best chance of stopping the threat before it becomes any worse. Alfonso Vargas hired several mercenary gangs to keep his large borders secure. Already, the Arctic Wolves and Screaming Skulls have been captured by the Alvarez County and those mercenaries are operating on new contracts for the County."

The elderly Klein negotiator heaved a sigh. "It does seem true that Alfonso Vargas is at a moment of vulnerability. But if the Federation rushes into war and the Estate proves itself tougher than expected, the Federation will be completely worn out and open for conquest."

"If you wait, the Estate will gain enough strength to conquer the Federation anyway," pressed an Alvarez diplomat. "By far, the Vargas Estate has the most off-planet ties. Alfonso can call upon a lot of help from nearby systems from both mercenaries and pirates that are in his pocket."

"The risks are significant for the Federation," a Klein negotiator said patiently. "Our army is primarily defensive, relying on bunkers, trenches, and other unmovable military assets."

"If this puts new perspective on the issue," exclaimed the Alvarez woman, "the Alvarez County, Laurent Commonwealth, and their allies will soon launch a full-scale assault on the Estate with or without your help. This will be our only chance make a fruitful attack! But without the Klein Federation's help, our chances are diminished."

"This assault could be exchanged for a more defensive plan," offered the elderly Klein negotiator. "Wear out the Estate by forcing it to make extended campaigns into the Federation and Commonwealth."

One of the Alvarez diplomats shook his head. "General Abby won't be tricked into a war of attrition like that. She will just gather her forces and concentrate on one nation, conquering it easily. The other nations would soon follow."

The Klein Federation negotiators began to chatter nervously amongst themselves, and Nikolai heaved a sigh. _I wonder when the Alvarez diplomats will bring up the Estate assassin team?_

As through reading Nikolai's thoughts, the Alvarez woman spoke up. "Even if the Klein is afraid to make a pre-emtive move, the Estate is not. Last night, a team of assassins broke into the hotel where us Alvarez diplomats were staying. They appeared to be the isolationist rebels, but they were not."

The elderly Klein negotiator narrowed his eyes. "Then who were they?"

"Vargas Estate assassins disguised as Klein Federation rebels," declared the Alvarez woman. "Alfonso Vargas was willing to kill off non-combatants like us to make the conquest of Korla easier. He didn't want a Klein-Alvarez union to happen, and I have proof that what I am saying is true."

Shocked chatter broke out in the meeting room and Nikolai couldn't help a grin. _Alfonso played dirty and now the Klein guys will see Estate assassins everywhere! They'll feel vulnerable and the only way to be safe is to help defeat the Estate._

A Klein Federation guard tapped Nikolai's shoulder. "Guards are rotating out," he said. "Take a 30-minute break, Kerensky."

"That I will," Nikolai huffed.

*o*o*o*o*

Nikolai didn't even have to wait half an hour to get the answers to the questions buzzing in his mind. The diplomats exited the meeting hall a short time later, and Nikolai hurried over to them. "How did it turn out?" he pressed them.

One diplomat spoke up. "We did it, Arctic Wolf. The assassin incident helped bring the Federation to our side. What's more, we brokered some business and political deals with the Klein family in exchange for the Federation's help."

Relief seeped through Nikolai's mind. "So, we're ready to stage the assault, then?"

"I'm no general, Arctic Wolf. You'd have to talk to Leonardo and Miguel about that," responded the diplomat. "But I can say that our odds of taking down Alfonso Vargas just went up."


	16. Chapter 15 The Best Solution

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 15: The Best Solution**

_**Family mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 2, 3075**_

"So, did you have a good evening?" Carlos Vargas asked his girlfriend with a small smile as the both of them settled onto a wide couch in one of the mansion's sitting rooms. A fire danced in the fireplace and late evening light shone through the room's tall windows.

"You don't have to ask. Of course I did," Cassandra said kindly, leaning over and giving Carlos a quick kiss. "That concert was a lot of fun to attend."

"Right. The symphony guys really know their stuff, huh?" Carlos chuckled, reaching over to pour two glasses of deep red wine. He made a quick mental rundown of his evening with Cassandra: a fine dinner, watching a performance of Holst's _The Planets_, and now relaxing and chatting in this sitting room with wine and a fire. Indeed, it seems that he was doing everything right.

"Mmmmm, they do," Cassandra said with content, sipping the wine and enjoying the tingling sensation on her tongue. "The Jupiter song was the best."

Carlos reclined on the seat next to Cassandra. "No way. Mars is the best one!"

"That one was the loudest and fastest song, but that doesn't make it the best," Cassandra teased him. "Jupiter sounded so light and happy..."

"Well, I guess..." Carlos conceded. He took a quick sip of wine then cleared his throat. "So, my finals match is bright and early tomorrow. Wish me luck!"

Cassandra made a little gesture. "I'll just use my best good-luck spell, then!"

"I'll need it. My opponent, Wild Marcus, uses a _Champion _to deadly effect. But I could handle the other guys, so I can take him too!"

"I'll be there to watch, champ," Cassandra smiled, wrapping her arms around Carlos and hugging tightly. _It will be the last arena tournament I watch with him in it, I bet. When I leave Korla with the other Arctic Wolves, it'll be tough leaving Carlos behind. His future is here, and mine is elsewhere. I'll have to break it to him sooner or later... at least I can be nice to him in the meantime._

"You know," Carlos said after a moment, watching the fire, "having you with me is the best thing that's ever happened to me, Cassie. You know that?"

"Feeling sentimental?"

"Maybe it's just my way of dealing with nerves," Carlos laughed. He took one of Cassandra's hands in his, savoring the soft, warm feeling of her skin. "But I mean it. I hope..." he swallowed nervously. "I hope that I can spend the rest of my life with you."

Cassandra glanced away. "That's... a big commitment."

"Yeah, but we could make it work," Carlos encouraged her. "I've been thinking about it, and our future together looks great. Korla is a technician's paradise, and the Vargas Estate will always be friendly to you, even if the other Arctic Wolves switched over to those Alvarez creeps. I'll be a part of the family administration, and you'd have your dream job working here." He looked right into Cassandra's eyes. "What do you think?"

"Um..." Fighting for the right words, Cassandra took a deep breath. "Well, for one thing I'm glad that the Estate has no hostile feelings toward me. But still... this is a lot to think about, Carlos."

"Well, that's true," Carlos conceded. "But I really think that we could make it work, if you are willing to make it possible. I for one think it's a great plan."

_This isn't good, _Cassandra realized. _It's like I thought. He wants a committed relationship on Korla but I can't do it. How do I break it to him? That I will be leaving him? _She tried to keep a straight face, but her anxiety must have showed because Carlos asked, "Are you feeling all right? You look upset..."

Cassandra quickly shook her head. "N-no, it's nothing."

"Come on, if something's bothering you then you can tell me," Carlos insisted. "Bottling up a problem isn't the right thing to do. It just make a person ill inside. Besides, if there's a problem about me, I'd _really _like to know it."

"There isn't anything to worry about!" Cassandra snapped impatiently, then realized that she just gave herself away.

Carlos sat back, keeping his hands to himself. "Give me more credit than that. Something's been eating at you since our trip to the oasis and I really want to know what. If you're secretly getting bored of me, then..."

"That's an awful thing to say, Carlos. Jeez," Cassandra said defensively.

"Then what?"

Realizing that her options were narrowed down to one, Cassandra steeled herself and said, "Yes, it's about you. Your plan for us living together on Korla won't work."

Carlos' face fell. "Are you serious?"

"I am. Listen." Cassandra leaned forward slightly toward Carlos, her heart hammering anxiously. "This is your home, but it isn't my home. I'm not ready to settle down, Carlos. I'm a part of the Arctic Wolves on an extended tour, and I have commitments with other people and other planets in the Lyran Alliance and Free Worlds League."

"But I'm your boyfriend!" Carlos insisted, alarm clear in his eyes. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"It does, and that's why this is so difficult for me," Cassandra told him, her throat getting tighter. "When the Arctic Wolves leave Korla, I'm going with them. I can't keep up a long-distance relationship like this, Carlos. I didn't think this far ahead when I visited this planet last year, but I thought about it now."

"What if the Wolves aren't in any shape to leave?" Carlos retorted. "Then you'd have every reason to stay!"

Cassandra sighed shakily, suddenly wishing that she was anywhere but here. "It doesn't work like that. I still have other manufacturers and institutes that I'm involved with. Korla is just one of several worlds I deal with, and even if I came back, I don't think our relationship can take much more of this on-and-off business. You've got a life here! There's other women here for you."

"I don't want those other women! I want _you_!" Carlos fired back, folding his arms.

"I know, but I don't think we have a future together," Cassandra reminded him, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "Either I was too short-sighted to realize it before, or I just didn't want to consider this issue. But after hearing that you have a lifelong commitment to the Vargas Estate at our oasis trip, I realized that we would have to part ways soon. It's the best solution, Carlos. You have your life and I have mine."

"No! There's no way," Carlos blurted, bolting to his feet, his breathing hard. "After all we've been though?"

Cassandra got to her feet too, fists tight at her sides. "I wanted to save this until the Arctic Wolves were ready to leave, but I guess you wanted to know right now."

"You're... breaking up with me?"

Cassandra silently nodded, hoping that her tears didn't leak out.

Carlos' jaw worked. "Don't tell me that that Alphonse guy talked you into this? That meat-headed quarterback..."

"Don't drag him into this," Cassandra bit back. "And no, he didn't convince me. I convinced myself. I had a great time with you, Carlos, but I jumped into this relationship last year without thinking in the long term. I'm sorry if I helped set up a relationship that couldn't last. It was stupid of me."

"No," Carlos argued. "Maybe it was _me _being stupid, dating a girl who obviously loves running around the Inner Sphere more than a real commitment!"

"Don't you talk about me like that!" Cassandra growled.

"Then fine. You've obviously made up your mind, and I don't want to talk about this anymore," Carlos shot back. "I'll arrange a car to take you back to the technicians' dormitory. You've got work in the morning, don't you?"

Cassandra sniffed, turning and stalking out of the room. "Yeah. I do."

Carlos watched her go, sinking back into the couch with his head in his hands. _How could this happen? We were perfect together! She has to live on Korla together! _He regretted the thought an instant later. _Forcing her into a life she doesn't want? I can't do that. I won't sink to that level. But I still can't believe... _He looked up at the wine bottle and briefly considered emptying its contents. _No, I've got my match tomorrow. And alcohol won't change anything anyway. _He slowly got to his feet, feeling numb. Maybe going to bed early would help.

*o*o*o*o*

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 3, 3075**_

"So, are you all set, Mr. future champion?" Lyla Lister asked Carlos excitedly as she handed him his cooling vest and boots. Carlos' towering _Shadow Hawk _stood at the ready, a set of scaffolding positioned up next to the machine.

"Yeah, I guess," Carlos mumbled, wandering into a side room to suit up. Lyla followed him there, a curious look in her eyes.

"What? Aren't you pumped for your big victory match?" Lyla persisted. "Or is it just nerves? I have a tonic for that..."

"I don't need any help, Lyla. It's fine," Carlos snapped, closing the room's door for privacy. He sighed and took off his shirt and pants, then changed into his short and boots. Last he slipped on his cooling vest and zipped it up, but he didn't feel his usual thrill of adrenaline that he got while suiting up for a match. As Carlos shuffled back to his waiting _Shadow Hawk _and climbed the stairs on the scaffolding, he remembered his breakup with Cassandra the night before. He could still hear her telling him how she had no future with him, and that she had more important things out there to think about.

_I thought I had it all, _Carlos thought, climbing into his _Shadow Hawk_'s cockpit and settling into the command couch. _Wealth, Battlemech skills, comfort, a great girlfriend. And what does this prove? That there's better things out there than me. Hell of a wake-up call... I was being naïve, thinking that I could keep it up forever._

The _Shadow Hawk_'s canopy snapped closed and Carlos powered up his machine, moving levers into position and fitting his bulky neuro-helmet onto his head. His helmet comm channeled the 'mech's computerized voice: _"What is the only indestructible weapon?"_

"Courage," Carlos grumbled, gripping his joysticks loosely as the computer accepted the password. He pressed his foot onto the pedal and got his _Shadow Hawk _moving at half throttle, marching the 'mech out of the hangar and toward his starting position on the desert arena.

"This is the big day, ladies and gentlemen of the Vargas Estate!" boomed the announcer. "This is what you've been waiting for: the final showdown that will decide this year's arena champion! From the north side, I give you Wild Marcus, a tough-as-nails warrior with his eyes on the prize! And from the south side I give you none other than Carlos Vargas, a wily young fighter with determination like we've never seen before! Our finalists are in position... let the match begin!"

From the other side the desert arena, nearly one kilometer away, Wild Marcus' _Champion _quickly trotted across the sandy dunes, its wing-like arms pointing their barrels straight at Carlos. Pushing all the way down on his pedal, Carlos set his _Shadow Hawk _into a full sprint, his stomach churning with mixed anxiety and shame. _What does this matter now, anyway? _Carlos wondered as the _Champion _drew ever closer. He lined up his crosshairs and opened fire, his Ultra Autocannon 5 spitting out a cluster of deadly ballistic shells. The UAC shells went wide, hissing through empty air as the _Champion _continued its charge.

"And Carlos Vargas opens up with a weak medium-range barrage!" the announcer stated. "He'll need more power than this if he wants to take Marcus down!"

The _Champion _drew within 300 meters and strafed to the side, the torso twisting in order to keep the 'mech's guns trained on Carlos. The 'mech's LBX-10 roared to life, and Carlos felt his _Shadow Hawk _reel back and shudder from the ballistic force. Flakes of armor rained down to the sand, and the damage tracker reported heavy damage on his right and center torso. Seconds later, the _Champion _spat out two medium lasers, and the twin beams slashed deep into the _Shadow Hawk_'s injured chest.

"Wild Marcus lives up to his name, and he's already got Carlos Vargas on the ropes!" the announcer continued excitedly. "Mr. Vargas needs to get his head back in the game because he won't last much longer with damage like that!"

_Shut up already, _Carlos thought. He adjusted his joysticks, aiming his arms at the _Champion _and opening fire. His two wrist-mounted ER medium lasers burned off a layer of armor from the _Champion_'s right torso, but the 60-ton 'mech recovered quickly and returned fire. Its SRM launcher spat out a cluster of six missiles that exploded against the _Shadow Hawk_'s upper chest, nearly knocking the 'mech off its feet. Carlos fought to get his 'mech back on its feet, but the _Champion _fired its lasers again, gouging off even more of the _Shadow Hawk_'s chest armor.

Dimly aware that he was falling far behind, Carlos reluctantly strafed to the side and re-adjusted his crosshairs, wanting this match to be over with. His UAC 5 fired again, and the shells scraped against the _Champion_'s left arm, scratching off a layer of armor.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that Mr. Vargas' heart is not in the game," commented the announcer. "He'd better get his mojo back quick or this match is already over!"

The _Champion_ marched even closer to Carlos' _Shadow Hawk_, proving the pilot's contempt for his opponent. Two small lasers punched into the _Shadow Hawk_'s damaged chest, then the LBX-10 cannon slugged the _Shadow Hawk _with a vicious barrage of cluster shells. Carlos' ears were filled with alarms as his 'mech's critical systems were breached, one after the other. Another SRM barrage exploded in the _Shadow Hawk_'s ravaged chest, and Carlos knew that he had one option. _Forget this game. I don't want to play anymore._

Before the _Champion _could fire again, Carlos adjusted a few levers and guided his damaged _Shadow Hawk _onto its knees, then raised his 'mech's arms in a clear sign of surrender. "Congrats, Wild Marcus. You've got me," he announced into the comm.

Marcus' deep voice responded, "What's the matter, kid? I thought this tournament meant everything to you. Everyone knows that."

"Lost my fighting spirit. Personal matter," Carlos told him with a shrug. "I need some time to myself. Enjoy your victory, all right?"

Marcus definitely sounded confused. "Well.. all right, then, kid. I accept your surrender." He backed up his _Champion _a few steps and fired all four lasers into the sky in a victory shot.

"We have a winner! Wild Marcus smashes Carlos Vargas with an easy victory and claims the title of 3075's arena champion! Well, there's always next year, Carlos."

_A new year to re-think everything, I guess, _Carlos figured, getting his 'mech back onto its feet. He set his _Shadow Hawk _into a trot back to the 'mech hangar, wondering what complaints that Lyla Lister would hurl at him for his performance.


	17. Chapter 16 Clear the Skies

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 16: Clear the Skies**

_**Wilderness, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 10, 3075**_

"So, we're finally back on the battlefields again," Kyle commented to Samantha in his helmet comm. He marched his _Shadow Cat _in formation with the other eleven Arctic Wolves across the blistering dunes, and the eight Screaming Skulls 'mechs walked in their own formation about 50 meters to the left of the Arctic Wolves.

"And just in time. My trigger finger is aching for some fun," Samantha responded with eagerness clear in her voice. "The sooner we defeat the Vargas Estate, the sooner we can get off this broiler of a planet. Things have gotten really weird here, Kyle. We get captured and switched to another side, then Alfonso Vargas makes himself public enemy #1 with his hostilities toward civilians... what other wonders await us?"

"Well, it's speculated that General Abby of the Estate military has a Clanner background," Kyle put in as his 'mech ascended a short dune. The _Shadow Cat_'s flat feet kicked up sand everywhere in the hot, dry air. "Based on analysis of her behavior and battle patterns."

"Hmmmmm. That would explain her tenacity and discipline," Samantha said slowly. "But Clanners like to stay with their own kind. What would a Clan gal be doing on Korla, anyway, helping with Alfonso Vargas' brutal conquests?"

Kyle fell into silence for a moment. "I really don't know. And if we defeat the Estate, it might not even matter what kind of person General Abby is. Let's just get the job done."

"Right behind you, hon," Samantha said cheerily.

Nikolai's voice entered the battle channel. "All right, Wolves, we're reaching the rendevous point. After that, we defer to Colonel Ruiz of the Alvarez County for orders. He goes by the callsign Scorpio. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" barked eleven Arctic Wolves.

Kyle watched as Nav Point Alpha drew close on his radar, and as soon as he drew within 100 meters of the nav point, the rest of the assault force came into clear view. Three companies of the Klein Federation's Battlemechs stood in formation, supported by a variety of tanks, mainly _Goblin _and _Manticore _designs. One of the Klein companies consisted entirely of _JagerMech_s and _Rifleman_s, clearly a dedicated anti-air squad. The other Klein 'mechs were more general designs such as _Trebuchet_, _Shadow Hawk_, _Uziel_, and _Argus _'mechs.

Then Kyle rested his eyes on the meat of the assault force: eight Mobile Long Tom artillery pieces, all of which sported the Alvarez County's seal. Kyle couldn't help but shiver as he beheld the Long Toms' huge, menacing barrels. _Anything on the receiving end of that will be pounded into dust, no questions asked, _he thought.

"This is Scorpio to all forces," came a man's smooth and confident voice on the comm. "The target airbase is just far enough that the Vargas Estate forces don't know we're here, but that will change soon. My spotter 'mechs are already in position to guide the Long Toms. Assault force, you will engage the airbase's defenses and keep the Estate forces off the Long Toms. The Laurent Commonwealth's air forces will provide support. All forces, move out."

The twelve AA 'mechs stood guard around the Long Toms while the other twenty-four Federation 'mechs plus the vehicles all marched toward Nav Point Beta, the airbase. Harry Saxon's _Bushwacker _led the other seven Screaming Skulls to tag along with the Federation 'mechs, then Nikolai's _Marauder _led the other Wolves along with the rest of the forces. Kyle pursed his lips tensely as he walked with the other Arctic Wolves, not entirely sure what to expect. The airbase's control towers came into view as Kyle mounted a dune, and when he scaled the dune and climbed down its other side, he saw the long airstrips and hangar facilities of the airbase. Several dozen of Battlemechs and vehicles stood guard around the airbase, but no hostile Aerospace fighters were visible in the sky.

"Assault team, hold position," came Scorpio's voice. "The Long Toms are primed to fire and their targets are locked. Stand by..."

There was a few seconds of silence. Then a string of loud _boom_sshuddered the air. Kyle heard the shrill whistle of the artillery shells racing through the air. Then, eight earth-shaking explosions erupted amid the airbase's defenders. Several Battlemechs were sent flying like toys thrown by an invisible hand, while others were swallowed up by the fierce detonations. At once, the remaining 'mechs defenders broke out into a full sprint toward the assault team, making it difficult for the Long Toms to land another shot on them. Kyle estimated that despite the Long Tom barrage, there were more 'mechs defending the airbase than there were on the assault team.

"Assault team, go!" Scorpio barked. The Klein 'mechs, Screaming Skulls, and Arctic Wolves raced forth to meet the defender 'mechs. Within seconds, large lasers, LRMs, and light-caliber Autocannons raged back and forth, causing one ravaged 'mech after another on both sides to collapse to the sands. The Screaming Skulls held back a little, their _Bushwacker _and _Whitworth _'mechs hammering the Estate 'mechs with intense LRM fire. A _Bushwacker _and a _Whitworth _reeled back and fell flat on their backs as enemy LRMs smashed into them, but the remaining Screaming Skulls fearlessly kept up their assault.

Realizing that the airbase would soon scramble its Aerospace assets, Kyle steeled his nerves and stood his ground, moving his crosshairs onto an enemy _Dervish_. He squeezed his trigger and a metal slug shot through the air at intense speeds. The _Dervish_, caught completely unaware, jerked back as though punched in the gut. Its chest armor caved in, crunching its chest-mounted LRM launcher into a chunk of twisted metal. Sparks and fire erupted from the broken LRM launcher, leaving the _Dervish _even more vulnerable. Several Arctic Wolves _Marauder_s opened fire, and their bright blue PPC beams slashed the _Dervish _into molten chunks that scattered across the sands.

An Arctic Wolves _Marauder _succumbed to large lasers and LRMs that tore into its chest, causing the 'mech to crumple into flaming chunks. Avoiding the blast radius, Samantha's _Marauder _took a few lumbering steps forward, raising its arm pods to aim. Two Light Gauss Rifle slugs raced through the air, both smashing into a hostile _Centurion_'s arm. The 'mech's arm tore off at the shoulder, and Kyle could hear the titanium bones snapping like rotten sticks. A cloud of LRMs from the Screaming Skulls peppered the amputated _Centurion _from head to foot, causing chunks of flaming armor to scatter everywhere. The ruined _Centurion _fell flat on its back, unable to get back up.

Another rumbling barrage from the Long Toms hammered the airbase with explosions, blasting apart several enemy Aerospace fighters that were parked in the hangars. One of the control towers took a direct hit, and the whole tower creaked as it swayed on its damaged supports. Then, with a shower of metal shards, the tower leaned and snapped in half, its upper half crashing to the sands.

"Heads up! Enemy air!" Nikolai shouted. Kyle tore his eyes from the battle and saw one enemy aircraft after another race down the airbase's runways and take off. Kyle activated his optical zoom and realized that he was dealing with _Hellcat_s, and he fervently hoped that the Commonwealth's own air forces could deal with such a threat. Meanwhile, Scorpio's newest orders came in through the comm: "Our spotter 'mechs are in trouble. Arctic Wolves, cover them. If we can't use our Long Toms, all enemy aircraft will be scrambled!"

"Let's move," Nikolai said tensely, turning his _Marauder _toward the spotter team's position. "And pray that we don't get strafed to death by _Hellcat_s."

Already, three Arctic Wolves 'mechs had gone down, leaving only nine operational. Worse, at least six Estate _Hellcat_s raced back and forth across the battlefield, wreaking havoc on the assault team. Several Klein 'mechs succumbed to the intense laser fire, and a _Whitworth _of the Screaming Skulls went down a second later. Kyle knew that the AA 'mechs would keep the Long Toms safe, but without the spotter 'mechs operational, those Long Toms would do little good. The Klein tanks, however, attracted little attention from the _Hellcat_s, allowing them to pick up the slack where the Klein 'mechs faltered.

Nikolai's _Marauder _lumbered as fast as it could toward the scout team's position, and Kyle's optical zoom confirmed two destroyed _Wasp _'mechs and six operational _Wasp_s. Already, a quarter of the spotter team was down, and Kyle knew that those surviving _Wasp_s had little time. Nine Estate 'mechs marched toward the _Wasp_s, throwing laser and Autocannon fire at the smaller 'mechs.

Nikolai's first PPC beam narrowly missed an Estate _Warhammer_, but he succeeded in catching the attention of the Estate 'mechs. Whirling around, the angered _Warhammer _lashed out with a PPC beam from its left arm barrel, and the crackling bolt grazed the right arm of Nikolai's _Marauder_. Nikolai kept his huge 'mech steady and returned fire with another PPC beam, this time striking the _Warhammer_'s center torso. Chunks of molten armor dripped from the _Warhammer_'s chest, but the heavy 'mech stood firm and returned fire. The _Warhammer_'s right arm's PPC slashed into Nikolai's left torso, shearing off nearly a ton of armor.

_Wow, those guys must be really heating up, _Kyle thought, watching the PPC duel intently. Then, the top-mounted Autocannon 5 on Nikolai's _Marauder _spat out five shells that tore into the _Warhammer_'s left leg, chipping off a layer of armor.

The other Estate 'mechs rushed at the Arctic Wolves, intending to fight a close-range battle to nullify the Wolves' PPCs. As it charged toward the Wolves, an Estate _Crusader _launched a pair of LRM 15 clusters, and the missiles smashed right into Fury's hulking _Atlas_. The 100-ton 'mech weathered the assault, but it couldn't yet return fire. Kyle bore his teeth and fired another Gauss Rifle slug, this time aiming at a charging _Uziel_. However, the slug went wide, hissing through empty air. Then, an enemy _Rifleman _raised its guns and opened fire, firing up its two Autocannon 5 guns. Kyle hung on tightly to his joysticks as the Autocannon shells rattled his _Shadow Hawk_, and the damage tracker on Kyle's HUD reported moderate damage to the left and center torso.

The scream of Aerospace jets filled the air, and the comm was filled with chatter as Laurent Commonwealth air support arrived. Kyle risked a torso twist to check the rest of the battle, and he beheld a handful of friendly _Lucifer_s engaging the _Hellcat_s with LRM 20s and large lasers. The _Hellcat_s broke away from their strafing runs to meet the _Lucifer_s head on, and within seconds a few fighter planes from both sides were sent crashing to the dunes.

The Estate _Warhammer _took several PPCs to the chest and the huge 'mech collapsed, but a few seconds later an Arctic Wolf _Marauder _succumbed to medium-range fire and fell apart in flaming pieces. Alarmed, Kyle hastily aimed his crosshairs and fired up his Gauss Rifle again, and this time his metallic slug found its target. A charging enemy _Jenner _recoiled as the slug smashed into its left arm, breaching the whole limb. In a puff of smoke and sparks, the _Jenner_'s arm sheared off and fell to the sands, causing the whole _Jenner to _sway and wobble from the loss of mass.

Before Kyle could fire again, however, the _Crusader _got into close range and let loose with its twin SRM 6s. Kyle pulled back his _Shadow Hawk _to avoid the missiles but he was too late. The twelve explosives showered the right half of the _Shadow Cat_, and Kyle winced as he felt himself get thrown harshly to the side. His stomach squirmed in vertigo as his _Shadow Cat _swayed to the side, and Kyle prayed that it wouldn't fall over entirely.

"Get away!" Samantha's voice exploded on the comm. Her _Marauder _was missing its left arm, but the bulky 'mech moved fast to intercept the _Crusader _and _Jenner_. One medium laser after another fired from the _Marauder_'s torso, and the _Crusader _shrank back as the lasers peppered its armored hide. Globs of armor oozed down the _Crusader_'s chest, but the injured 'mech wasn't done fighting yet. The _Crusader_'s medium lasers stabbed into Samantha's damaged torso armor, then another pair of SRM 6s tore up what little armor the _Marauder _had with a string of explosions.

Kyle turned to face the _Jenner_, but the little 'mech was already firing. Its two medium lasers slashed into the right arm of Kyle's _Shadow Cat_, melting the armor and exposing the inner bones and machinery. Kyle responded with his trio of chest-mounted ER medium lasers, and the _Jenner _wobbled as its torso armor melted away layer by layer. Undeterred, the _Jenner _fired back with its lasers and SRM 4, and Kyle muttered a curse as the combined fire tore into his right arm. With a loud and hideous metallic crunch, the entire right arm snapped off with a shower of sparks and shredded myomer muscles. The useless arm tumbled across the sands, and Kyle fought just to keep his 'mech upright.

"Let me handle this," Fury's deep voice boomed on the comm. His damaged _Atlas _marched up to Kyle's aid, unleashing its ballistic arsenal at the _Jenner_. One Autocannon 20 blast tore off the _Jenner_'s other arm, and the light 'mech wobbled on its thin legs. Fury unleashed an LBX-10 salvo that knocked the _Jenner _flat on its back, busting its internal gyro with a burst of motor oil and scrap metal.

Then Thomas Jones' _Marauder _joined the scene, and his SRM 6 batteries smashed into the injured _Crusader_'s chest. Explosions rocked the heavy 'mech, forcing it to take a few steps back just to stay balanced. The _Crusader_, still in fighting shape, returned fire with its medium lasers and SRM 6s, blasting armor off Thomas' torso. Taking her chance, Samantha opened up with her numerous medium lasers. The combined energy beams stabbed into the _Crusader_'s vulnerable inner machinery, melting it all into white-hot slag. The _Crusader _crumpled as though it went numb, sprawling flat onto its face.

"This is spotter one," came a woman's voice on the comm. "Thanks for the help, Arctic Wolves. Painting the target now."

Kyle took a deep, shaky breath and backed up, surveying the area. All nine Estate 'mechs lay in ruin, but most of the Arctic Wolves had gone down too. Only he, Samantha, Thomas, Fury, and Nikolai remained standing. Still, the six surviving _Wasp_s scampered off to get into positions, sending their TAG beams at the airbase. Half a minute later, eight more earth-shuddering explosions swallowed up the airbase just as several _Hellcat_s were trying to take off. The remaining control towers collapsed and the Aerospace fighter hangars vanished into fireballs.

"This is Scorpio, confirming mission success. Enemy airbase neutralized," came Colonel Ruiz's voice. "Proceed with mop-up."

"Let's sit that part out," Nikolai panted on the comm. His _Marauder_'s armor was worn thin from head to toe, and sparks sizzled from damaged inner components. "Unless Scorpio insists on throwing us back into the fray."

Fortunately, Colonel Ruiz was content to let the Arctic Wolves stand guard around the _Wasp_s while the rest of the assault force dealt with the remaining airbase defenders. At last, guns fell silent, the last of the Estate defenders lay in ruins, and Colonel Ruiz confirmed a complete victory.

"With this airbase neutralized, the Vargas Estate's capital city, Nexus, will be easier for us to take," Ruiz told everyone. "We did our job to clear the skies of enemy presence, but don't expect this to be easy. There are several other enemy strongholds we need to take out before Nexus can be attacked with any real chance for victory."

_As long as it can be done, _Kyle thought wearily, heaving a deep sigh.


	18. Chapter 17 Behind Enemy Lines

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 17: Behind Enemy Lines**

_**Wilderness, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 21, 3075**_

Not for the first time, Kyle found himself marching across the desolate dunes of the Vargas Estate with only the bright full moon to guide him, but this time he marched with Alvarez County forces. Along with Kyle's fully-repaired _Shadow Cat _marched Samantha's _Marauder _and two other Arctic Wolves piloting _Marauder_s, and some distance away marched two more lances of Alvarez 'mechs. Already, Kyle and the others were several miles into enemy territory, managing to bypass Vargas Estate patrols and proceed toward the mission's objectives. Several Vargas Estate towns lay nearby but more importantly, a number of Estate communication facilities were around here, and the Alvarez brothers wanted those comm facilities shut down.

The voice of Colonel Ruiz popped into the comm. "Phantom team, report in."

"Phantom One, reporting in," Samantha responded.

"Phantom Two, reporting in," Kyle added. The others confirmed their readiness as well.

"Your objective is at way-point Charlie, and it is currently 1.7 kilometers to the north of your location," Ruiz explained. "We've sent out diversion teams to draw away the defending forces, so resistance should be light at the facility. Get in there, raze that building, and get out. The other two Phantom teams have already begun their assaults."

"Copy that," Samantha said crisply. With the Vargas Estate's largest airfield crippled, one lance was all that the Alvarez County needed in order to take out a facility. As long as the objective wasn't surrounded by heavy turrets, Kyle expected that he would be back at base within a few hours. The _Hunter's Insight _dropship sat a few kilometers to the south, waiting to pick the Phantom teams back up.

There was still no sign of enemy resistance as Kyle's team marched across the chilly dunes, and when way-point Charlie drew within one kilometer, Kyle activated his optical zoom and got a visual on the comm station. Standing five stories tall and surrounded by a wire fence, the comm station glowed with windows on its steel walls and a trio of large comm dishes rested on its roof. The dishes slowly rotated in place, green and red lights flashing on their frames.

"This is Phantom One," Samantha spoke in the comm. "I'm not picking up any enemy vehicles or 'mechs, and I'm guessing that they are waiting to ambush us. Phantom Two, scout ahead and find them."

"Roger that." Scampering ahead of his lancemates, Kyle slowly pushed his 'mech up to full throttle, then reached over and slapped his hand on a square red button. At once, his radar's range expanded and a number of red dots popped up on the screen. "I've got six enemy contacts! They're all shut down to avoid detection. They're 750 meters ahead of us."

"Regroup, Phantom Two. Everyone, activate optical zoom to find the enemy and open fire with PPCs and Gauss Rifles on sight. They might be hiding on the other side of some dunes."

His heart hammering with excitement, Kyle proceeded with the rest of his team, his finger tense on the firing button for his Clan Gauss Rifle. The comm facility drew closer and closer, but still the enemy contacts didn't strike.

"We'll just have to draw them out," Samantha stated. "Open fire on the facility!"

Glad to be actually doing something, Kyle squeezed his trigger and felt his whole 'mech shudder from the force of his Gauss Rifle spitting out a metal slug. The chilly night air glowed electric blue as PPC beams streaked from two of the _Marauder_s, and the combined PPCs and Gauss slug tore into the comm facility's upper level. Blasts of fire glowed in the distance and huge chunks of infrastructure came raining down from the top story.

A few seconds later, a cluster of LRMs raced out of the darkness and collided with Samantha's _Marauder_, swallowing up the left half of her 'mech with explosions. A bulky _Archer _'mech with the Vargas Estate's logo stood on a nearby dune to the north-east, and a pair of _Centurion_s soon marched up from the dune's other side and flanked the _Archer _like bodyguards.

"Engage enemy contacts!" Samantha barked. Her 'mech's twin arm pods spat out Light Gauss Rifle slugs, one after the other. The first slug went wide, hissing through empty air. The other slug, however, smashed right into the _Archer_'s left LRM launcher, caving the launcher inwards with a loud screech of warping metal. The hulking _Archer _reeled back from the momentum, but the two _Centurion_s raced forward, opening fire. One _Centurion_'s LRM 10 cluster pounded into the right leg of Samantha's _Marauder_, blasting off layers of armor. The other _Centurion_'s LRMs blew off armor from a _Marauder_'s right torso.

Just as Kyle prepared to open fire, however, the other three Vargas contacts came into view from the west: an _Uziel _along with two _Manticore _tanks. The _Uziel_'s large pulse laser and LBX-2 peppered the right torso and arm of Kyle's _Shadow Cat_, while the two _Manticore_ tanks unleashed hell. Both of them hammered the _Marauder_s with their combined PPCs and LRM 10s, and then the _Archer _recovered and added its own LRM 20s to the barrage.

"Concentrate your fire! Get the _Manticore_s!" Samantha shouted over the din. Eager to pay the Vargas forces back, Kyle broke out into a full sprint, zig-zagging across the battlefield to present a slippery target to his foes. He locked his crosshairs onto a _Manticore _tank and released another Gauss slug. The _Manticore_'s turret blew clean off from the slug's heavy impact, and the turret bounced uselessly across the dunes. Robbed of its PPC, the tank turned to open fire on Kyle, but a a pair of PPCs from the _Marauder_s slashed the tank's LRM launcher into a molten mess. Finally, Samantha's Light Gauss Rifles tore into the wounded tank's hull, breaching its engines and delicate inner machinery. The tank erupted into flames, its charred body disintegrating.

Angered, the remaining Estate forces pushed closer, hoping to get too close for PPCs to be effective. The twin _Centurion_s filled the air with their Autocannon 10s and medium lasers, slashing more armor off the brawny _Marauder_s. The _Uziel _scampered up from behind, its SRM 6 chipping away at a _Marauder_'s rear flank.

The two standard _Marauder_s returned fire with their Autocannon 5s, and the ballistic rounds pounded into a _Centurion_'s chest, nearly knocking the 'mech off its feet. Three PPC beams ravaged the _Centurion_'s chest, and mingled flames and molten armor flew off the 'mech's chest. Smoke poured from the injured 'mech's chest, leaving it in no shape to fire back. Kyle carefully lined up his crosshairs and fired, feeding one Gauss slug right into the damaged torso of the _Centurion_. With another, fiercer blast, the _Centurion_ slumped to the dunes and rolled down to the dune's bottom, chunks of armor and titanium bones breaking off.

Fully cooled down by now, the surviving _Manticore _rolled closer and flung another LRM 10 volley at Phantom team, then its PPC. The combined weapons sheared off the left arm from a standard _Marauder_, and the limb released a shower of sparks and torn myomer muscles as it broke off. Angered, the _Marauder _whirled around, punishing the _Manticore _with its remaining PPC and Autocannon 5. Both weapons blasted armor off the tank's nose, but the _Manticore _hung on, firing its SRM 6 from extreme range. This time, the _Marauder _managed to evade the tank's fire, and Samantha's Light Gauss Rifles punched deep into the wounded tank's innards. Just like the other tank, the _Manticore _erupted into flames and sparks, its hull falling apart.

The _Archer_, not content to just watch, took a few steps closer and unloaded its LRM batteries. The one-armed _Marauder _was rocked on its feet as forty LRMs ravaged it from head to toe, stripping away nearly all of its armor. Smoke and fire bled from the huge 'mech's ruined torso, then an Autocannon 10 blast from the surviving _Centurion _shattered the _Marauder_'s exposed inner machinery. Releasing another wave of flames, the _Marauder _slumped onto its side in defeat, sliding down the dune toward the bottom where the ruined _Centurion _lay.

"Take out that _Archer_!" Samantha ordered. She hastily fired her Light Gauss Rifles, but her quick shots went wide. The other _Marauder _opened up with its PPCs, and both sizzling blue bolts tore into the _Archer_'s damaged LRM launcher. The electric beams sliced into the LRM launcher like hot knives, setting off the LRM warheads stored inside. The _Archer _wobbled on its feet as its internal ammo went off like a box of firecrackers, its torso armor shattering from the trauma. Seeing his chance, Kyle brought his 'mech to a halt, lined up his crosshairs, and fired his Gauss Rifle. The slug pierced the wounded _Archer _and knocked the entire 'mech onto its back, blasting apart its inner machinery. The 'mech squirmed for a few seconds, then went limp as its myomer muscles tore apart from the strain.

Kyle felt distinctly relieved to see the _Archer _go down, but the surviving _Uziel _and _Centurion _launched their own assault. A combined LRM 10, Autocannon 10, and large pulse laser barrage tore into the standard _Marauder_'s weakened chest armor, and sparks flew from the 'mech's damaged inner machinery. All three Arctic Wolves responded with their own fire, but the nimble _Centurion _and _Uziel _sprinted toward their three foes in a zig-zag pattern, letting the PPCs and Gauss slugs go wide. Another volley of fire blew the _Marauder_'s torso apart, causing the huge 'mech to collapse into a flaming mess.

"Just you and me," Samantha told Kyle tightly on the comm as the two remaining foes closed in. He snarled and triggered his Gauss Rifle in frustration, but the two enemy 'mechs were within 300 meters and easily evaded the awkwardly-fired slug. The _Centurion_'s combined lasers and Autocannon 10 scored heavy blows against the remaining chest armor on Samantha's _Marauder_, and the heavy 'mech wobbled from the loss of mass. Kyle felt himself get thrown around in his cockpit as the _Uziel_'s SRM 6 and LBX-2 rounds shattered the thin armor on his _Shadow Cat. _The _Uziel_'s medium and small lasers cut into the exposed machinery of Kyle's 'mech, causing alarms to go off in the cockpit.

Unwilling to go down, Kyle gave up on his Gauss Rifle and switched to his lasers. His three torso-mounted ER medium lasers carved into the _Uziel_'s damaged torso armor, melting globs of metal off the _Uziel_'s frame. While Kyle's lasers were cycling, however, the _Uziel _responded with another SRM 6, and Kyle winced as the explosions shook his _Shadow Cat _violently, damaging the inner framework. Smoke leaked into the cockpit as another warning light blinked on, and Kyle knew that he was running out of time. Once again he hurled his three lasers at his foe, enduring the rising heat in his cockpit. Two of the ER medium lasers scored hits on the _Uziel_'s left torso while the last one went wide, flashing through empty desert air.

Samantha's _Marauder _had lost most of its armor by now, but its torso sported an impressive array of eight medium lasers that Samantha was dying to use. Five laser beams filled the air, and four of them hit the target, slashing chunks of armor from the _Centurion_'s chest to expose its inner machinery. One of the beams struck a heat sink, blowing the heat sink apart in a detonation that shook the _Centurion_. Grinning to herself, Samantha fired up her last three medium lasers at the _Centurion_, but she gasped from the heat that stifled her. Still, the three new beams cut deep into the _Centurion_, gouging out its inner machinery. Fire leaked from the humanoid 'mech's inner components, signaling its impending doom.

The _Centurion_'s pilot had grit, however, and proved it when he recovered his 'mech's balance and returned fire. His expertly-aimed Autocannon 10 salvo tore right into the _Marauder_'s chest, and Samantha hung on tightly as internal explosions rocked her 'mech. Two vicious medium lasers from the _Centurion_'s chest only worsened the _Marauder_'s plight, and judging by the warning lights going off in her cockpit, Samantha knew that she'd get one last chance to take down her opponent before she was killed.

Slapping her hand impatiently on her coolant button, Samantha checked that her _Marauder_'s heat level was down to 0, then opened fire. All eight of her lasers stabbed the _Centurion_ one after another, spiking the heat back up to a rather high level. Sweating and muttering desperate curses under her breath, Samantha stared hard at the _Centurion_, praying that it would go down. She felt a thrill of elation as her lasers ravaged the _Centurion_, slicing apart its inner bones and busting its gyro. Losing its balance and falling into pieces, the _Centurion _burst into even more flames. Despite the trauma, the _Centurion_'s pilot squeezed off one last shot, pounding the _Marauder _with a final Autocannon 10 volley before the _Centurion_ collapsed into pieces.

"Integrity compromised," stated the _Marauder_'s computer. "Unsafe! Eject!"

Aware that her machine was collapsing from the new internal explosions that were rocking it, Samantha pulled the eject lever and felt herself thrust toward the cockpit ceiling. However, fire and twisted metal filled the cockpit, impending the ejection seat's progress. Samantha grimaced as her ejection system struggled to get her out of her dying 'mech, praying that she didn't meet an early end.

Meanwhile, Kyle flooded his _Shadow Cat _with some coolant and fired up his lasers again, aware that one more good salvo would take down his 'mech. The _Uziel _wobbled as the lasers melted off more of its torso armor, nearly breaching its SRM launcher. Stopping and facing the _Shadow Cat _directly, the _Uziel _let loose with an alpha strike. The LBX-2 shells and SRMs blasted into the _Shadow Cat_'s lower torso, while the combined lasers slashed into the 'mech's exposed innards. Even more alarms went off in Kyle's cockpit, but he bared his teeth and muted them, too aggravated to be afraid. Even with one of his ER medium lasers now broken from the _Uziel_'s barrage, Kyle fired back. His remaining two lasers stabbed into the _Uziel_'s SRM launcher, breaching it and setting off the internal ammo. The _Uziel _vanished in a fireball of exploding SRM rounds, lighting up the night with a fantastic display. When the fires died down, only the charred, metallic husk of the _Uziel _remained.

"So close," Kyle breathed, aware that his body was sore and sticky with sweat. He turned on his torso and saw Samantha's ejector seat settle onto the dunes, its parachute ensuring a a smooth landing. Still, the badly-damaged condition of the ejector seat sent a thrill of alarm through Kyle. Turning a little farther, Kyle fired his Gauss Rifle at the comm array, the slug tearing through one of the satellite dishes on the damaged building. Twice more Kyle fired his Rifle, nearly depleting its ammo but completing his mission all the same.

Removing his neuro-helmet from his head, opened the cockpit, relieved at the cool night air that seeped in. After he rolled down his 'mech's ladder, Kyle grabbed a first-aid kit and climbed down as fast as he could, landing heavily on the sandy dunes. He sprinted across the sands toward the ejector seat, panting and gasping for breath. "Samantha!"

Samantha groaned and dragged herself off the ejector seat, mild burns and cuts all over her body. Kyle knelt by her side, gently laying her onto her back and removing her neuro-helmet. "Sam, can you hear me? Can you talk?"

"Y-yeah," Samantha muttered. "You don't have to babysit me..."

Kyle fumbled with the first aid kit's latch, getting out bandages and anti-burn medicine. "Don't be like that. You're hurt, and help could be hours away. I'll signal Colonel Ruiz from my 'mech, but I have to fix you up first. I can get you back to the _Hunter's Insight _in my 'mech."

"I guess," Samantha conceded, her voice feeble. "But the other guys with us..."

Kyle glanced at the ruins of the other _Marauder_s. "Doesn't look like they made it. They were Arctic Wolves, and it was my honor to fight with them. But now, I have to tend to the living, you know? We've got a war to fight." He gingerly began to apply the bandages and medicine to his lancemate and girlfriend, fervently hoping that the both of them would be able to eventually leave Korla reasonably intact.


	19. Chapter 18 Liberation Day

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 18: Liberation Day**

_**Nexus outskirts, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 28, 3075**_

Kyle knew that he was an important and well-valued backup sniper for the Arctic Wolves company, but when he stood among the hundreds of 'mechs and tanks assembled for the final assault on the Vargas Estate, he felt tiny. Countless 'mechs marched in formation across the dunes toward the city, and some of them bore the symbol of the Alvarez County, while others had the seals of the Laurent Commonwealth or Klein Federation on them. Elsewhere, several wings of Aerospace fighters from the Klein Federation were prepared to strife the enemy. Over a dozen Laurent Commonwealth Mobile Long Toms were there too, escorted by tank formations.

"This is Desert Eagle to all units," came a man's voice. Kyle recognized him as General Santiago of the Alvarez County. "This is our final push to take down Alfonso Vargas and General Abby, so I want 100% effort from each and every one of you. If we stick to the plan, the Vargas Estate's tyranny will come to an end. This is liberation day for all of Korla."

"Are you all ready, Arctic Wolves?" Nikolai asked his fellows cheerily, his _Marauder _marching at the head of his company's formation. Ten of the Arctic Wolves had survived to this point in the war.

"Yes, sir!" barked nine Mechwarriors on the comm.

"Good," Nikolai responded. "Miguel and Leonardo Alvarez gave us this chance to end Alfonso Vargas' reign of terror, so let's not waste it. We're on the winning side."

The Arctic Wolves fell silent as they marched with the rest of the army towards the waiting city. In his head, Kyle remembered the tactical briefing's highlights. Nearly twenty Long Toms sat in a wide semi-circle around Nexus, all of them pointing at the invading army's direction. Two full regiments of the Vargas Estate's Battlemechs stood at the ready, as well as battalions from the nations allied with the Estate. Finally, a trio of small airfields nearby promised to send Estate _Hellcat _fighters into the battle. The Estate's primary airbase was still in ruins, but Kyle knew that the invading Aerospace fighters would still have to be careful.

"Spotter teams, get into position," Desert Eagle commanded. "Scout lances, hunt and destroy any Estate spotter teams you find. If we get the advantage with artillery, this battle will be much quicker to win."

Kyle admired Desert Eagle's confidence, but as he marched over a dune and beheld the full scope of Nexus' defenders, his heart sank. The vast array of enemy defenders outstripped even the impressive united invasion force, and Kyle wondered if the pre-emtive strikes against the Estate's facilities would make any difference. Well, at least the airbase raid would.

A rapid string of deep _boom_s signaled the Vargas Estate's opening artillery barrage, and Desert Eagle quickly gave the order for all units to disperse. For a few seconds, Kyle heard the whistle of incoming explosive shells. Then, one earth-shuddering explosion after another erupted all across the dunes and rocky plains, blasting a few of the invader 'mechs sky high. One explosion rocked the ground just a few dozen meters from the Arctic Wolves, rattling the 'mechs where they stood. Kyle fought against his _Shadow Cat_'s controls to keep his medium 'mech on its feet, and the other Wolves managed to stay on their feet as well.

As Kyle and the other Wolves raced across the dunes with the rest of the army toward Nexus' defenders, the Mobile Long Toms answered the Estate's attack with their own barrage. Huge detonations peppered the sandy, dry earth around the city's defenders, throwing huge pillars of dark smoke and flames into the air. Kyle saw handfuls of Estate 'mechs and tanks vanish in the fireballs while the rest scattered to avoid a similar fate.

"Air assets, flank them from the east!" Desert Eagle demanded. "Don't let the enemy artillery get another chance!"

While the friendly Aerospace fighters started their approach, Kyle checked the outer edges of the battlefield. Already, Battlemechs from both sides exchanged fire, eager to destroy the other side's spotter 'mechs. Kyle couldn't spare much time to watch the skirmishes, however. The invasion army was nearly within range of the main enemy army, and long-range units like Kyle's _Shadow Cat _would be obliged to fire first.

The Federation Aerospace fighters roared onto the scene, flying fast and low. Most of them were _Lucifer _designs, and the planes peppered the Estate Long Toms with bright red large laser beams. A second later, clouds of LRMs raced from the _Lucifer_s, then the missiles tore into the Long Toms with clusters of explosions. A few Long Toms melted or blew apart under the vicious strafing run's firepower, then anti-air 'mechs guarding the Long Toms returned fire. Countless lasers and Autocannon bursts sizzled through the air, most of them too slow to hit the _Lucifer_s. One _Lucifer _did take heavy fire, however, and the plane shattered into flaming pieces that crashed to the dunes. The rest of the _Lucifer_s soared away, preparing to come back for another strafing run later.

"Long-range units, open up!" Desert Eagle barked. Kyle tensed his muscles at the cue, sliding his crosshairs onto formations of enemy 'mechs. Meanwhile, friendly LRM 'mech lances filled the air with thousands of missiles, leaving long streaks of gray smoke in the hot afternoon air. Brilliant clusters of flaming explosions engulfed the Vargas Estate 'mechs and tanks, the smoke clouds obscuring most of the survivors. Squinting past the inference, Kyle found an area unclouded by smoke and opened fire. His Gauss Rifle slug punched into an enemy _Rifleman_, cracking the heavy 'mech's left shoulder armor like an eggshell. The _Rifleman _flinched from the heavy attack, fighting to stay on its wide, flat feet.

As soon as his Gauss Rifle recycled, Kyle punished the _Rifleman _with another slug, this time breaching its chest. A blast of armor flakes, smoke, and sparks brought a wolfish grin to Kyle's lips, then a few LRM clusters finished off the injured _Rifleman_. The Vargas Estate 'mechs returned fire with equal ferocity, ravaging the invasion army's 'mechs and tanks with heavy LRM and Gauss Rifle barrages. Handfuls of invasion 'mechs and tanks went down, but the rest pressed onwards without fear.

Again and again the Long Toms from both sides fed their murderous shells into the battlefield, but at this point only a fraction of each side's Long Toms were operational or had functioning spotter teams. What was more, both sides' 'mechs and tanks had reached close range and the large formations of both armies broke up into smaller, fast-moving cells. Kyle gawked at the fast, fluid nature of the battle, then mentally shook himself and prepared to provide fire support wherever it was needed. _I can't get distracted. This is the battle of my life!_

Once again the _Lucifer_s arrived to provide support fire, this time from the north-west. However, another group of Aerospace fighters rocketed onto the scene from the east, and the new planes' large lasers slashed mercilessly into the _Lucifer_s' flank. Two _Lucifer_s plummeted to the ground in flames while the rest aborted their strafing run to engage the enemy planes, all of which were _Hellcat_s.

"Hostiles up ahead! Lock and load!" Nikolai warned. A group of enemy 'mechs spotted the nine Arctic Wolves and closed in for the kill, unloading fierce fire upon the Wolves. A quartet of _Shadow Hawk_s peppered the Wolves with their Autocannon 5 shells and medium laser, chipping off armor from the hulking _Marauder_s. A pair of _Trebuchet_s stood at the back of their group, throwing LRM 15 volleys every which way. Kyle snarled as the explosions battered his fellow Arctic Wolves, and the smoke clouds blocked his vision of what was going on.

Kyle hung on tightly to his joysticks as stray Autocannon fire pelted his _Shadow Cat_, damaging the armor on its right torso and right arm. Seconds later, the smoke clouds lifted and Kyle saw a perfect shot on an enemy _Shadow Hawk_. While the other Arctic Wolves opened fire with their PPCs and Autocannon 5's, Kyle placed his crosshairs onto a _Shadow Hawk _and opened fire. His metallic slug smashed right into the _Shadow Hawk_'s left arm, breaching the entire limb with a screech of warped metal and a shower of sparks. The entire 'mech swayed as its arm broke off, leaving it vulnerable. A trio of PPC beams from the _Marauder_s slashed open its chest, and flames erupted from the 'mech's ravaged torso. The _Shadow Hawk _collapsed and sprawled face-first onto the sand, leaking gear fluid and coolant.

"Punching out!" reported one Arctic Wolf as his _Marauder _shuddered from heavy LRM and laser fire from the enemy group. His 'mech stumbled and swayed from the countless LRMs that pounded its torso, breaking off the armor and destroying the heat sinks within. The unmanned _Marauder _slumped to its side, crushing its right arm under its heavy torso as it crumpled to the sand.

Samantha's dual Light Gauss Rifles spat out their metal slugs, one of which stabbed into a _Trebuchet_'s torso-mounted LRM launcher with a blast of fire and smoke. The other slug grazed the arm of an Estate _Thunderbolt_, and the sheer kinetic force spun the 'mech around and nearly threw to its back. Infuriated, the _Thunderbolt_'s pilot stabilized his machine and returned fire, his large laser and twin medium lasers cutting into the left arm of Samantha's _Marauder_. Molten armor oozed from the point of contact, then the laser beams continued to the titanium bones and myomer muscles. The entire _Marauder _jolted as the arm was slashed off, falling to the sandy ground with a _thump_. The amputated 'mech wobbled from the loss of mass, but it stayed on its feet.

"I've got you covered, Sam," Kyle assured her. While the _Thunderbolt _was distracted, he placed his crosshairs on its chest and triggered his Gauss Rifle. Once again, the _Thunderbolt _was rocked by a Gauss slug, and most of its left torso armor was blasted into pieces from the impact. Nikolai's PPC beam slashed even deeper into the wound, sizzling the _Thunderbolt_'s inner components. The 65-ton 'mech hung on tight and released an LRM 15 volley that pounded into Nikolai's _Marauder_. Chunks of flaming armor flew from Nikolai's 'mech as missiles peppered its armor, but the heavy 'mech didn't go down.

Fury's huge _Atlas _marched up right behind the _Thunderbolt_, cutting loose with its deadly short-range weapons. An arm-mounted LBX-10 scoured the armor from the _Thunderbolt_'s right arm, and the impact force actually bent the titanium bones a little with a loud metallic groan. The _Thunderbolt _whirled around to to face the _Atlas _toe to toe, spitting out short-range laser fire in defiance. Its medium lasers burned two molten scars on the _Atlas_' center torso, but the 100-ton 'mech took the damage in stride and fired back. One Autocannon 20 salvo was all that the _Thunderbolt _could take. The 65-ton 'mech was thrown right onto its back, shattered internal components and sparks leaking from its ravaged torso. An LBX-10 volley from Fury's right arm silenced the _Thunderbolt _for good.

The remaining Estate 'mechs turned and fled the scene as fast as they could, but within a few seconds, Kyle realized that they weren't retreating out of fear. All around the battlefield, the remaining Estate forces made a break for Nexus' city limits, leaving the invasion force's 'mechs standing alone, confused. The Estate's _Hellcat_s broke off and retreated, headed back for their airfield. The Estate's Long Toms fell silent as well.

"What's going on here?" Nikolai demanded on the comm.

"All hostiles are making a tactical retreat toward the city," Desert Eagle told everyone. "Looks like they want to finish this with a short-range urban brawl to negate our superior air power and ranged-fire capabilities. Smart move on their part. Our Long Toms are useless now. We're not going to fire on civilian structures."

"But what about the people of Nexus?" Samantha asked.

"My men have intercepted some enemy comms, and we have determined that all of Nexus' civilians have been evacuated to the city's center, far away from the fighting. We can afford to make an urban assault without killing civilians. All forces, advance on Nexus. Alfonso Vargas can run but he can't hide."

"Arctic Wolves, on me," Nikolai told his men, turning his _Marauder _to face Nexus' countless skyscrapers. "We'll lose our ranged advantage in there so we're going to get some escorts if possible. Fury, Thomas, the city should be a good place for you."

"Sounds like fun," Fury commented. Meanwhile, Thomas' numerous SRM launchers would prove deadly in urban combat. As Kyle marched toward Nexus with his fellow Wolves, he prayed that he would survive to see his sister and Lyla again, and he wondered how Cassandra was doing with Carlos and Alphonse. _I bet they're all getting along great, _he thought with forced optimism. _I can't wait to see them all again._


	20. Chapter 19 The Old Fashioned Way

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 19: The Old-Fashioned Way**

_**Nexus, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 28, 3075**_

The Arctic Wolves were acutely aware that each and every skyscraper, hotel, and office building in Nexus could provide cover for Vargas Estate troopers armed with RPG launchers and Inferno rocket launchers, and this deadly fact made the hairs on Kyle's neck stand up as he carefully marched his _Shadow Cat _down the wide, empty streets of the city with his eight surviving Arctic Wolf fellows. Hundreds of cars and trucks were parked all over the streets and parking lots, but no civilians were in sight, nor were any enemy forces.

"The main assault force is making a push down the main street," Nikolai told his troops after he received a message from Desert Eagle. "There are several support teams to guard the main force's flank, and we are one such team. Without aircraft and artillery to provide support fire, it's up to the guard teams to keep enemy forces from flanking the main army."

"As long as we don't get flanked ourselves, sir," Thomas Jones commented. "I can already imagine _Urbanmech_s around each corner waiting to tear us up."

Kyle knew that Thomas had a point; most of the Arctic Wolves were designed for long-range fire using PPCs and Gauss Rifles, but the team did have some medium lasers for close-range fire. Plus, Thomas' _Marauder _was custom-fit with an array of four SRM 6 launchers and four medium lasers in place of the normal weapons loadout, and Fury's _Atlas _was loaded with medium to close-range ballistic weaponry. At least the Wolves could put up a fight.

The city echoed with distant explosions and the rattle of Autocannon fire as the Wolves made a turn around an office building and marched down a wider street littered with cars. Kyle knew that the main invasion force marched a few blocks to the left, and he fervently hoped that the army would survive to conquer the city hall. Otherwise, all this work and stress would be for –

"Infernos!" Samantha barked, switching her _Marauder_'s direction just in time to avoid a specialized SRM that was headed her way. One by one, more Inferno missiles streaked out from the balconies on the buildings, all of them bearing down on the Arctic Wolves. Feeling a thrill of dread in his nerves, Kyle shoved his joysticks to the side and stomped hard on his acceleration pedals. His nimble _Shadow Cat _danced back and forth in the wide street, causing Inferno rounds to miss him by a wide margin.

One Arctic Wolf wasn't so lucky. An Inferno round exploded into his _Marauder_'s left torso just above the shoulder, spreading flammable jelly all over the 'mech's battle-damaged armor. At once, a brilliant blaze swallowed up the 'mech.

Stricken with a skyrocketing heat level, the _Marauder _stumbled forward a few steps, unable to fire any weapons. What was more, several 'mechs appeared on his radar and a pair of _Axman_s stomped onto the scene from around an apartment complex. Raising their huge, shiny hatchets high, both humanoid 'mechs brought their blades down on top of the flaming _Marauder_, splitting the fiery 'mech into sizzling pieces.

"And there's the short-range experts," Thomas noted grimly. "Boss?"

"Waste 'em. Let Kyle and Sam take out the infantry," Nikolai told him tensely. Only too happy to carry out that order, Thomas formed up with Fury's hulking _Atlas _and confronted the two _Axman_s. Twelve SRMs leaped from Thomas' _Marauder_, and the missiles pounded into one _Axman_'s right torso, chewing off armor with a ripple of fireballs. The other _Axman _turned and returned fire, its large pulse laser peppering the _Marauder _with thick bolts of energy. The _Axman _kept up the pressure with its medium lasers, and the beams punched into the left torso armor of Thomas' _Marauder_.

"I've got you covered, Tom," Fury rumbled as he took a few heavy steps forward with his _Atlas_. He raised his 'mech's bulky arms and unleashed hell with his twin wrist-mounted LBX-10 Autocannons, and the cluster rounds shredded the _Axman_'s armor from head to toe. Tons of armor flew off the 'mech's chest and legs, the sheer momentum throwing the 65-ton 'mech against the apartment building. The 'mech managed to stay on its feet, its back pressed against the apartment wall.

Before Fury could fire again, however, a _Hatchetman _scampered onto the road from behind an office building, its hatchet raised high. The 45-ton 'mech brought its razor-sharp hatchet down on the _Atlas_' left shoulder, shearing right through the 100-tonner's armor plating. With a screech of warped metal and a shower of sparks, the _Atlas_' entire left arm split from the shoulder and crashed loudly onto the street, leaking motor oil.

"Damn it. These guys are tearing us up the old-fashioned way," Fury cursed.

"No kidding," Thomas muttered back on the comm.

Regaining the initiative, the first _Axman _took a few steps forward and fired its Autocannon 20, hammering the center torso of Fury's _Atlas_. The huge 'mech, already thrown off-balance from the loss of its arm, was nearly thrown off its feet from the Autocannon shells. The _Atlas_' wide feet fought to keep the 'mech upright, preventing Fury from returning fire.

Acting fast, Thomas scampered over to cover his ally, his four SRM 6 launchers unleashing a torrent of missiles on the marauding _Hatchetman_. The 45-ton 'mech kicked off the ground, its jump jet boosters lifting it quickly into the air. Half of Thomas' SRMs exploded against the 'mech's skinny legs, vaporizing most of its armor. Tilting his _Marauder _up, Thomas fired four medium lasers from his arms, slicing off armor from the airborne _Hatchetman_'s torso.

Fury finally regained control of his 'mech, lining up his crosshairs on the _Axman _that he had damaged earlier. The smaller 'mech had also recovered from its injuries, but one solid Autocannon 20 salvo from the _Atlas _shoved the _Axman _back onto the apartment's wall, cracking the building's wall. Desperate, the _Axman _returned fire with its medium lasers and its own Autocannon 20, shredding most of the armor from the _Atlas_' left torso. Still, the _Atlas _kept its composure and fired again with its sole remaining LBX-10, aimed right at the _Axman_'s head. The cluster shells shattered the _Axman_'s head and destroyed the cockpit, causing the whole 65-tonner to go limp. The 'mech slid down the apartment building and crumpled onto the street, inert.

The other _Axman_, however, got the jump on the _Atlas _while Fury was busy with the first _Axman_. The surviving 65-tonner approached the _Atlas _from the right, slashing its hatchet down as hard as it could. Caught by surprise, Fury could only shout a string of curses as the bladed weapon hacked off his 'mech's other arm, and the loss of mass finally overloaded his internal gyro. The 100-tonner leaned backwards with a loud creak of metal and fell flat onto its back with an earth-shuddering boom. The _Axman _stood triumphantly over its fallen foe, raising its hatchet for the kill.

Four PPC beams stabbed right into the _Axman_'s torso, and with a brilliant blast of blue energy and sparks, the _Axman_'s chest armor was vaporized in a split-second. The 65-ton 'mech wobbled and stumbled backwards, lowering its ax. Two _Marauder_s marched toward the _Axman_, their Autocannon 5s spitting out volleys of ballistic shells. The _Axman _returned fire with its large pulse laser, melting a little armor off of one _Marauder_. Another PPC volley to the torso put an end to the _Axman_'s threatening presence a few seconds later, causing the whole 'mech to crumple.

"I took out the _Hatchetman_," Thomas reported wearily, trudging his _Marauder _back in formation. His torso armor was nearly depleted and his 'mech had lost its left arm, but the _Hatchetman _lay in smoking ruins as a testament to Thomas' skill.

"Damn straight," Fury commented.

As Fury and Thomas engaged the melee 'mechs, Kyle backed up a few steps and scanned the buildings for enemy infantry, guided by the smoke trails left behind from the Inferno rounds. Kyle frowned and activated his optical zoom, praying that at least a few enemy troopers would be foolish enough to remain out in the open. His luck was solid; two Estate soldiers stood on the fifth floor balcony of a hotel, busily reloading their Inferno launchers. Grinning to himself, Kyle lined up his crosshairs and squeezed his trigger. A Gauss slug smashed into the balcony at high speeds, tearing right into the building's wall. Unable to handle the stress, the entire balcony came crashing down with a shower of wood and metal shards, taking down the two soldiers with it.

"Aaaaaargh!" one Mechwarrior howled in agony as Inferno rounds. Just as with the first _Marauder _who fell victim to the Infernos, the _Marauder _was engulfed in flames, unable to move or fire weapons with the intense heat surrounding it. SRMs rained down from another building's balcony, peppering the flaming 'mech. The _Marauder _collapsed in a burst of flames, its legs crushed under the torso's weight.

"Got 'em," Samantha declared. Her Light Gauss slug tore into the building's fourth floor balcony, sending It and several Estate troopers plummeting to the sidewalk.

As Kyle scanned the buildings for more infantry, a few _Urbanmech_s and a _Hatchetman _arrived from the side streets, raining down fire on the Arctic Wolves. The _Marauder_s turned and returned fire, but their PPCs often went wide at such quarters. The Autocannon blasts from the _Urbanmech_s and _Hatchetman _tore through the _Marauder_s' armor at an alarming rate, forcing Nikolai to change tactics. "Kyle, Sam, hit 'em with your Gauss weapons! Those little _Urbanmech_s can't take much fire." His point was accentuated by the fact that one _Marauder _fell apart from all the Autocannon barrages, and the 75-tonner crumpled to the sidewalk in a heap of twisted armor and limbs.

One of the _Urbanmech_s paused to fire at Nikolai's 'mech, exposing its left flank to Kyle. Taking his chance, Kyle aimed his crosshairs at the _Urbanmech_'s torso and squeezed his trigger. The Gauss slug, fired from 300 meters away, went wide and smashed into an apartment complex's fourth floor, punching right through the wall with a blast of bricks and glass. Alarmed, the _Urbanmech _whirled around and spat out a stream of Autocannon shells that rattled Kyle's _Shadow Cat _from head to toe. Snarling, Kyle hung on tightly to his joysticks, fighting to get his crosshairs back on the _Urbanmech_.

Nikolai's twin medium lasers stabbed into the _Urbanmech_'s right torso, stunning the light 'mech. Kyle stabilized his _Shadow Cat _just enough to snap off three ER medium laser shots, and the three red beams slashed armor off the _Urbanmech_'s left torso. Unwilling to go down so easily, the _Urbanmech _turned back to Nikolai and let loose another torrent of AC 10 shells, shredding armor from the left thigh of Nikolai's _Marauder_. The hulking _Marauder _stumbled from the assault, its aim thrown off.

Samantha's Light Gauss slug tore into the wounded _Urbanmech_ from afar, breaching its damaged right torso with a blast of flames and armor shards. The little 'mech wobbled and fought to stay on its feet, but when Kyle fed three more ER medium lasers into the 'mech's ravaged torso, the _Urbanmech _crumpled flat on its back and didn't move again.

Another _Urbanmech _and the _Hatchetman _went down, but another Arctic Wolves _Marauder _succumbed to enemy fire as well. Now, only Kyle, Samantha, Nikolai, and Thomas were left standing against a pair of _Urbanmech_s. With one short but brutal exchange, both sides let loose with their weapons. Standing close to their foes, both _Urbanmech_s hammered the Arctic Wolves with their Autocannon 10s and small lasers, shearing off even more armor from the damaged _Marauder_s. In exchange, the _Marauder_s loosed a volley of medium lasers and Autocannons, and in the case of Thomas, SRM 6 volleys. Both _Urbanmech_s withered under the assault, their chest armor melted into slag and their internal components cooked.

The pilots of the _Urbanmech_s were determined, however, and stood their ground as they released another volley of Autocannon fire. Samantha's _Marauder _flinched as shells tore at its center torso, sanding off armor at a rapid rate. Nikolai's own 'mech wobbled from the Autocannon rounds that showered its left shoulder, but neither 75-ton 'mech went down. The Arctic Wolves released another volley of their combined fire and both _Urbanmech_s came crashing down in a wreath of flames and sparks, leaving the Arctic Wolves alone in the street.

"I gotta punch out," Fury grunted from his downed _Atlas_. "Can't even get up, and I lost most of my weapons. I'll find somewhere safe to stay until the battle's over." With that, he popped open his _Atlas_' canopy hatch and climbed down his huge 'mech, then ran across the street and vanished into an alleyway.

"This is Arctic Wolf command to Desert Eagle," Nikolai tapped into the comm. "We've covered your flank from a rather nasty melee party. Do we regroup, or should I find other ambush teams?"

"Rejoin the invasion army," Desert Eagle responded. "You and the other support teams did your job well. The main army took serious losses, but we've nearly reached the city hall. Regroup with the invasion army at the city hall's plaza and await further orders. In a few minutes, Nexus will be ours."

Nikolai started marching his ragged _Marauder _down the street toward the city hall. "On me, Wolves," he said. "We've got a war to win."

Anxiously hoping that there weren't a few more _Axman_s lying in wait, Kyle trotted his _Shadow Cat _alongside his three fellow Arctic Wolves through the city and toward the central plaza. Upon regrouping with the primary invasion force, he saw that barely a company and a half of 'mechs remained, and they were in various states of repair. Still, there was a clear path straight to the huge city hall, and Kyle was eager to conclude this savage planetary war.

"Not so fast," warned a woman's voice on the comm. As she spoke, fifteen new contacts appeared on Kyle's radar, all of which came from the city hall and approached the invasion army's weary survivors. The 'mechs didn't match the typical designs of the Vargas Estate army, however. Kyle felt his insides go cold as he recognized the 'mechs: _Ryoken _and _Vulture _'mechs, and one _Ryoken _stood at the front of the group. The woman's voice came from that particular 'mech.

"Who are you?" demanded one of the Alvarez Mechwarriors.

"I am the Vargas Estate's final line of defense," the woman responded. "This war is not won unless you can defeat me in fair combat, invaders."

"I recognize you," Nikolai realized. "General Abby, am I right?"

"You are right, Nikolai," Abby responded. "Well, invaders? Face me or turn back and never return to this city. Alfonso Vargas may have failed to defend his realm, but I am not weak like he is."

"Desert Eagle?" Nikolai asked his commander. "What's the call?"

Desert Eagle huffed a sigh. "Very well, men. Challenge General Abby and destroy her forces. We came here to win, and that's what we will do."

"We accept your challenge, General," Nikolai told Abby. "On these conditions: if my allies win, you tell us your true nature and what you want with Korla, and you will leave this world forever."

"Amusing," Abby sneered. "My terms are thus: if I win, the Vargas Estate is mine, and from there, I will conquer all of Korla."

"Bit of a tall order," Nikolai taunted. "But fine, I agree. Guys?"

The surviving Alvarez Mechwarriors voiced their assent, and they grouped with the Arctic Wolves to form twenty-three total 'mechs. Abby had fewer 'mechs, but they were Clan 'mechs and all were in perfect condition, making for an even playing field.

"This plaza will be our battleground," Abby declared, backing up toward the city hall with her men to make room for battle. "Prepare yourselves, invaders."

Kyle swallowed hard and watched Abby's men get into position. _Oh, I'm prepared, all right._


	21. Chapter 20 A Cornered Animal

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 20: A Cornered Animal**

_**Plaza, Nexus, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**September 28, 3075**_

Even though there were only fifteen enemy 'mechs compared to twenty-three 'mechs on Kyle's side, he felt apprehensive as he watched the Clan 'mechs back up toward the city hall to make more room for battle. He could see that General Abby preferred consistency in her unit's make-up: ten _Ryoken _made up the bulk of the unit, and five _Vulture_s threatened to provide heavy LRM fire. Abby's comm signal came from one of the _Ryoken_s, but the 55-ton 'mech had no distinguishing marks on it in order to help give Abby a low profile during combat.

"Begin!" Abby declared on the comm, and only a split-second later, a furious cloud of LRMs streaked from the _Vulture _'mechs right toward the 23 invader 'mechs. Kyle winced and twisted his 'mech's torso, letting his thin back armor take the brunt of the LRMs that struck his _Shadow Cat_. He didn't like losing his rear armor, but his front armor was already damaged by earlier fighting and he wanted a chance to survive another volley.

Nearby, an invader _Uziel _succumbed to LRMs that peppered its torso. Chunks of molten armor blew off the 'mech's frame and its internal SRM 6 ammo exploded like a box of firecrackers, further ravaging the 'mech. A _Griffin _jerked back as LRMs pounded into its left shoulder, breaching the armor and warping the titanium bones with a loud creak. The 'mech tried to steady itself, but the sheer momentum overwhelmed its gyro and threw the 'mech onto its back, crushing its rear armor against the plaza's hard pavement.

"Return fire!" Desert Eagle barked. At once, LRMs raced from the invader 'mechs and streaked toward Abby's squad, and the missiles tore at the _Ryoken_s' armor mercilessly. The 55-ton 'mechs reeled from the explosions, but all of the _Ryoken_s stayed firmly on their feet, a testament to their pilots' skill.

Kyle and the other fire-support 'mechs hung back while the rest of the invader 'mechs charged at Abby's forces to close the gap. Kyle took a deep breath and gently guided his crosshairs onto an enemy _Ryoken_, praying that none of the _Vulture_s decided to demolish him with another LRM barrage. Squeezing his trigger, Kyle released a metallic slug that punched directly into the missile-damaged _Ryoken_'s right shoulder, tearing through the Clan 'mech's Ferro-Fibrous armor with a burst of sparks and flames. The _Ryoken _wobbled on its wide feet, the Gauss slug's momentum still coursing through the 'mech's metal frame.

Eager to take advantage of the weakened _Ryoken_, Nikolai aimed his PPC barrels at the _Ryoken _and let loose. Twin PPC bolts slashed right into the _Ryoken_'s right torso, adding to the damage that Kyle had delivered and melting off tons of armor. The 55-ton 'mech swayed as the massive loss of armor, and this time the pilot couldn't stop his machine from toppling into its back. Other invader 'mechs gleefully hammered the vulnerable _Ryoken _with their own fire, reducing it to charred scrap metal.

More lasers and Autocannon rounds peppered the _Ryoken_ 'mechs, but the nine remaining _Ryoken_s quickly proved their worth. The nimble 'mechs started prancing in erratic loops and curves, letting hostile fire shoot right past them. Thick ER large and medium laser bolts flashed from the _Ryoken_s' arm-mounted muzzles, dealing damage rapidly to the advancing invader 'mechs. A _Bushwacker_ lost its balance as ER lasers carved up its legs and torso, throwing off the 'mech's balance by melting off huge chunks of armor. Desperate, the _Bushwacker _launched its LRM payload at the nearest _Ryoken_, chipping armor off the Clan 'mech. Then, a pair of LRM 20 volleys from one of the _Vulture_s swallowed up the _Bushwacker_ in a vicious fireball. When the smoke and flames cleared, only scraps of the _Bushwacker _were left.

Another invader quickly went down, a _Rifleman _that was missing its left arm. Still, Kyle realized that his team maintained an advantage; the Clan 'mechs were bound to overheat soon with all their ER laser and LRM fire combined with Korla's blistering environment. Double heat sinks would prevent the worst of the heat buildup, but Kyle knew that ER large lasers and ER large pulse lasers couldn't be used for long in sustained combat. The _Vulture_ pilots would soon be toasted in their cockpits from firing LRM 20s and ER large pulse lasers.

_That's why Clanners create their 'mechs with short, intense battles in mind, _Kyle noted. _They need to win fast or not at all. If we can drag this battle out, we get the advantage!_

One Vulture reeled and stumbled back as Kyle and Samantha punished it with their Gauss Rifle and Light Gauss Rifle, smashing apart the armor on the 60-ton 'mech's tall center torso. Furious, the _Vulture_'s pilot responded with an LRM 20 volley from its left launcher. Samantha did her best to evade the volley, but LRMs collided with her left torso and blasted off what little armor she had left.

"Get him for me!" Samantha told Kyle tightly, quickly backpedaling in her badly-damaged 'mech. Baring his teeth, Kyle waited until he achieved a target lock, then sent another Gauss slug at his foe, intending to breach the _Vulture_'s left missile pod. However, the _Vulture _must have been predicting the Gauss slug because it took a few steps to the right, already out of position by the time Kyle fired his weapon. The Gauss slug hissed through empty air.

"Now's not the time to get sloppy, hon," Samantha teased him.

Kyle chose not to respond, and instead focused on a _Ryoken _that was advancing closer to him and the other fire-support 'mechs. By now, three more invader 'mechs had gone down, and the rest were in danger of falling as well. Kyle knew that the long-range invader 'mechs were essential, so he rallied the others to him and they focused on the marauding _Ryoken_. The _Griffin _had finally gotten back to its feet and its PPC beam lashed the _Ryoken_'s left arm like an energy whip, boiling away a layer of armor. Kyle's three ER medium lasers all stabbed into the _Ryoken_'s center torso, causing molten armor to ooze off the 'mech's frame and to the pavement below.

The _Ryoken _ignored Kyle and twisted on its torso, feeding its twin ER large lasers into the wounded _Griffin_'s torso. The hellish beams tore right through the hapless _Griffin_'s thin armor, breaching its inner components. An internal explosion rocked the _Griffin_, then another and another as the 'mech toppled to the ground, this time staying down.

"Keep it up!" Kyle barked as his ER medium lasers fully recycled. He backed up a few steps and moved his reticule across the _Ryoken_'s blocky torso, striking different spots on its torso with his lasers. More armor sagged off the _Ryoken_'s frame and the 'mech wobbled as its gyro fought to compensate, and then LRMs from an invader _Viking _overwhelmed the 'mech. A brilliant chain of fireballs swallowed up the _Ryoken_, and its left arm broke off and fell to the plaza pavement. The 'mech's lets split off from the torso and caused the whole machine to collapse in a flame-ridden heap, no doubt killing the pilot.

_He was asking for it, attacking all by himself, _Kyle thought as he watched the _Ryoken _crumble. He felt himself sweat from the heat in his cockpit, but his double heat sinks steadily bled off the waste heat. _I thought that Abby's men would be more disciplined... wait! Now I see what his plan was!_

The _Ryoken_'s suicidal charge was no mistake. That 'mech had single-handedly occupied the attention of all of the invader fire-support 'mechs and even took one down. Lacking their fire-support, the front-line invader 'mechs crumbled before the combined might of the _Ryoken_s and _Vulture_s, erasing the advantage that the invader 'mechs had enjoyed. By now, four _Ryoken_s and three _Vulture_s still stood, while only nine invader 'mechs were left, all of which were in shabby condition.

"Kyle and Samantha, on me," Nikolai ordered tersely on the comm. Thomas Jones was still by Nikolai's side, and his _Marauder _had certainly seen better days. It was still missing its left arm and one of its SRM 6 launchers had been busted, and its armor had been worn thin from head to toe. Fortunately, Nikolai's own _Marauder _was in better condition, since all of its weapons and limbs were functional. However, his armor was also running thin, especially on its center torso and left leg. Kyle guessed that if he fired his Gauss Rifle at the _Marauder_'s chest, the 75-ton 'mech would go down at once. Speaking of the Gauss Rifle, Kyle checked his ammo counter and noted that he had only five rounds left. He'd have to be careful with his ammo or risk fighting with his lasers alone.

"You cannon win. Korla is mine for the taking," Abby's gleeful voice spoke on the comm. "Be honored that you die at my hands." Her lancemates flooded the comm with their assent.

"Abby, you're one crazy bitch, aren't you?" Nikolai responded smoothly. "Good God, you people are nuts..."

"_Freebirth!" _Abby blurted furiously. "Nothing will be left of you when I am done with you!"

Kyle frowned. _Did she just say "freebirth"? That's a Clanner word... so Nikolai's suspicions were right. Abby _is _a rogue Clanner!_

Apparently, Abby gave her comrades the order to charge because in one concerted effort, the four _Ryoken_s and three _Vulture_s all advanced on the tattered invader army, letting loose with deadly firepower. ER lasers, ER large pulse lasers, and a few LRM 20 barrages all choked the air in a fantastic display, and Kyle got the impression that Abby's men had been angered just as much as she had by Nikolai's comment. Many of the laser bolts and missiles flew past their targets because they were fired hastily, although the firepower that did connect dealt serious damage. Another invader 'mech went down, a _Crusader_. The remaining invaders returned fire with calm and precision, focusing fire on the _Ryoken_s. One _Ryoken _collapsed from the combined fire ravaging its torso and legs, then another. Both 'mechs toppled face-first to the plaza's pavement, fire dancing in the 'mechs' remains.

The _Vulture_s hesitated, their pilots realizing that they were exposed. Quickly, the 60-ton 'mechs opened up with LRM and medium pulse laser fire, tearing apart two more invader 'mechs, a _Hellspawn _and a _Blackjack_. However, the invader 'mechs were quick to return a vicious volley of firepower, and the _Vulture_s could do little as Autocannon shells, lasers, PPCs, and missiles pummeled their armor from head to toe. A wounded _Vulture _quickly collapsed from the intense fire, and another joined it only seconds later. During the chaos, the two _Ryoken_s returned fire with their deadly laser barrages, taking down the last two non-Arctic Wolf invader 'mechs. By now, only Kyle, Samantha, Nikolai, and Thomas were left standing against the _Vulture _and pair of _Ryoken_s.

Unwilling to meet the fate of its fellows, the _Vulture _took a few steps forward and filled the air with thick ER large pulse laser bolts, gouging armor off of Nikolai's and Thomas' 'mechs. The _Ryoken_s added their own laser fire, breaking off the remaining arm on Thomas' _Marauder_. Kyle winced as lasers tore into his _Shadow Cat_, boiling away his 'mech's thin armor. Sirens blared to life on his console, warning him that his internal systems would explode if he took another hit. Alarmed, Kyle backed up a few steps, training his reticule on the lone _Vulture_. He squeezed off the shot and scored a direct hit, tearing into the 'mech's left missile rack. The internal LRMs all went off at once, the combined fireballs bulging against the _Vulture_'s armor. With a blast of flames and ruined armor, the 'mech shattered into pieces and crumpled to the ground.

Thomas' SRM volleys pounded into one of the _Ryoken_s, obliterating the armor from the 'mech's chest. Samantha's medium lasers tore into the besieged 'mech, carving deep into its internal structure. The _Ryoken _wobbled, its armor crumbling off in sheets. Miraculously, the pilot aimed his arm-mounted guns and returned fire, eviscerating Thomas' _Marauder _with ER large lasers and medium lasers, ignoring the heat buildup in desperation.

"I'm out!" Thomas shouted on the comm as his ejection pod roared out of his _Marauder_'s canopy. Seconds later, the _Marauder _vanished in a chain of fireballs triggered by breached internal components.

Seeking revenge, Nikolai punished the _Ryoken _with his twin medium lasers and top-mounted Autocannon 5. The combined shells and lasers breached the 'mech's internal components, and the whole _Ryoken _buckled under the strain. The pilot couldn't save his 'mech, however, and the _Ryoken _collapsed to the ground, falling on its left side.

"Is that you in there, Abby?" Nikolai asked on the comm as the lone _Ryoken _started to rapidly backpedal. "Don't tell me that you're running away, _quineg_?" He teased her with the Clan word, hoping to get another rise out of her.

"I do not run away," Abby hissed back, a statement at odds with her 'mech's movements. "Alfonso Vargas failed to conquer Korla, but I am not as lowly or cowardly as he!"

"Well, to your credit, you didn't resort to torching civilians in the Bhujorba Protectorate to keep your power like he did," Nikolai commented as the three remaining Arctic Wolves started to walk forward. "But whatever. Surrender, or die. Easy as that."

Kyle could hear Abby's heavy breathing on the comm. "Never corner a wounded animal, Arctic Wolf," Abby retorted. "Do you know nothing?"

In response, Nikolai sent a PPC beam through the air, and the crackling energy bolt sheared the armor off the _Ryoken_'s left knee. The 55-ton 'mech stumbled, nearly falling over. Unwilling to go down, Abby responded with an ER large laser from each arm, and Nikolai twisted on his mech's torso just in time to keep his vulnerable center torso safe. The twin ER large lasers slashed into the right arm of Nikolai's 'mech, and at the molten touch, the arm melted right off and fell heavily to the ground with a _clang_. Nikolai's _Marauder _buckled and wobbled from the sudden loss of mass, but the 75-tonner didn't go down.

Samantha's Light Gauss Rifle slug smashed right into the wounded knee on Abby's _Ryoken_, tearing easily through the 'mech's armor and titanium bones. Still Abby didn't go down, and her ER medium lasers flayed armor off of Samantha's center torso, causing globs of liquidated armor to slop onto the plaza's pavement.

Deciding that enough was enough, Kyle carefully aimed his reticule onto Abby's other knee and opened fire. His Gauss slug punched right through the _Ryoken_'s right knee, and this time the 55-tonner lost control of itself and fell flat on its back, its backwards momentum overwhelming the gyro. The two _Marauder_s and single _Shadow Cat _all convened around the toppled _Ryoken_, watching as the 55-tonner struggled to get back up. Its damaged knees refused to accept any weight, however, and the 'mech toppled back down.

"Looks like you've got to choose, Abby," Nikolai told her cheerily, aiming his remaining PPC barrel at the fallen _Ryoken_'s cockpit. "Surrender... or perish."

Abby's chuckling carried clearly on the comm. "Do you even need to ask? Come closer and find out."

Curious, Kyle accelerated and trotted closer to Abby's 'mech, but he felt a chill when he heard a steadily-growing hum in the _Ryoken_'s chest.

"Fool! Get out of there!" Nikolai howled into Kyle's comm set. His injured _Marauder _limped away from the scene as fast as it could, its titanium leg bones creaking in protest with every step. Realizing what was going on, Kyle slammed his foot on his acceleration pedal, letting his _Shadow Cat _break into a full sprint away from Abby's deathtrap. Just as he got clear of the plaza, Kyle saw the whole plaza light up when the _Ryoken_'s fusion core overloaded and exploded. The whole ground shuddered and the air roared, throwing Kyle's 'mech back into an office building. Shattered glass and warped I-beams scratched at the _Shadow Cat_'s armor-less back, but Kyle kept his 'mech standing as he watched the fireworks settle down. A huge blackened crater was all that remained of Abby's 'mech, and most of the 'mechs that had fallen in the battle had been vaporized too.

"She manually overloaded her fusion core," Nikolai noted. "Went out with a bang. I should have guessed, huh?"

"Same difference, Boss," Samantha said giddily. "We've won! Korla is free from the curse of Alfonso Vargas and General Abby. I'm eager to get off this sand ball."

"Yeah. Same goes for me," Nikolai sighed.

"And me," Kyle added wearily. His mind still burned with questions about the Vargas-Alvarez war, but he figured that the Alvarez brothers' men would capture Nexus and sort everything out. In the meantime, Kyle planned to take a cold shower and collapse onto the nearest bed as soon as possible.


	22. Chapter 21 Pick Up the Pieces

**STEEL WOLF**

**Chapter 21: Pick Up the Pieces**

_**Family Mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**October 3, 3075**_

"You mean you're _still _digging up stuff?" Nikolai asked with incredulity as he stepped into Alfonso Vargas' former office in the family mansion. The room was a luxurious one, but it was also crowded with dozens of agents from the Laurent Commonwealth, Alvarez County, and Klein Federation. Both Leonardo and Miguel Alvarez were here too, overseeing the complete dismantlement of Alfonso's corrupt information networks and war machine.

Some of the County officers scowled at Nikolai's intrusion, but Leonardo and Miguel only chuckled. "You know how some villains in drama holovids have stockpiles of secret plans, hidden agendas, and shadowy conspiracies?" Leonardo said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah," Nikolai nodded. He had to admit that he was a bit of a sucker for campy but interesting holvid dramas.

"Well, Alfonso outdid them all," Miguel added, revealing one of several trapdoors built into the office. A flood of blueprints and encoded documents piled out in a papery avalanche, prompting several County officers to scoop up the papers.

Nikolai grinned as he walked across the floor's soft carpet, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "This must be fun for you guys..."

"More than I'd admit," Leonardo confessed, then picked up a stack of papers and handed them over to Nikolai. They were printed copies of a decrypted file. "Take a look at this. _This _is what we were dealing with, mercenary."

Curious, Nikolai accepted the papers and gave them a look. The plan was entitled "Operation Phantom," and it was immediately clear that General Abby and her men had devised this plan. According to this file, if Alfonso lost the war for Korla, Abby would use her connections to overthrow him and take his place, then find a new way to expand the Vargas Estate and consolidate more power onto herself. Nikolai frowned. "This is pretty sensitive material..."

"This plan is completely harmless now that General Abby's dead," Miguel said in his irritating know-it-all tone. He tugged on his red tie. "We're going to use this to root out Abby's old allies and remove them from power, then destroy all traces of the intended Operation Phantom. That, and many of Alfonso Vargas' insidious plans and connections will be dealt with. He even had connections to criminal organizations across Korla to form his underground information network. Those mob organizations will be dealt with, too."

Nikolai heaved a sigh. "Nothing's simple on Korla, is it?"

"With your contract complete, you're free to go on your way," Leonardo reminded him. "Of course, if you choose to help us with our duties on Korla, we could arrange payment. The Vargas Estate's leadership needs to be reorganized and its military decreased in size. Care to help pick up the pieces?"

With a quick laugh, Nikolai shook his head. "No thanks, guys. That's outside my expertise. Lyla and Cassandra insisted on coming to this world because it's a tech paradise, nut I believe that my Arctic Wolves are ready for adventures on some other world. Maybe someplace colder."

"Very well then," Miguel shrugged. "Your dropship, the _Hunter's Insight_, is located in Nexus' primary spaceport. You're fully cleared to depart whenever you like."

"As soon as all my 'mechs and Aerospace fighters are repaired," Nikolai reminded him. "My boys and I had to fight pretty hard to secure this victory, you know."

Leonardo dipped his head. "I know. And the ghosts of my brother's and my lost relatives can rest easy now. You have our thanks, Arctic Wolf."

"All in a day's work," Nikolai grinned again, turning to leave the office. "Excuse me. I think that my men are at the nearest bar and I don't want to miss out."

*o*o*o*o*

_**Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,**_

_**Lyran Alliance,**_

_**October 8, 3075**_

"Cassie! I know you're in here, damn it!" Lyla Lister shouted impatiently, winding her way through the assorted engines, work tables, and half-assembled 'mech weapons in the spacious hangar. The hangar's huge double doors were wide open, letting early morning light pour into the huge metallic room. Outside, Lyla could see the endless dunes and sandstorms that defined Korla, but that wasn't her concern right now.

"Come on! Nikolai told us to be at the spaceport by 0900 hours and guess what, it's 0912 hours!" Lyla added, trying to appeal to Cassandra's sense of punctuality. She cursed as she nearly tripped over a pile of wrenches and screwdrivers on the smooth metal floor, gripping the edge of a work table to steady herself. "For every minute you stall, Nikolai will make you work an hour on the ship for him!" she added, resuming her walk through the hangar. "How'd you like to do dishes and scrub everyone's clothes for twelve hours?"

There was still no reply, so Lyla huffed loudly and broke out into a trot. Finally, she ran into her technician friend. Cassandra was seated at a work table, fast asleep. Numerous half-completed components and blueprints were scattered across the table, and it was clear that Cassandra had worked late into the night.

Her impatience fading, Lyla walked over to her friend and placed an energy coil dampener on Cassandra's head, balancing it delicately. One by one she added more components until they all fell off Cassandra's head and clattered loudly onto the hard metal floor.

"Don't break anything!" Cassandra blurted, jerking herself awake. She looked around wildly until she looked up at Lyla, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry if I got carried away with my work. I needed a distraction."

"From the horrors of war?" Lyla smiled back. "More like you fixate on your work with single-minded doggedness. Not that I can't relate..."

Cassandra yawned and rubbed her eyes, her soft brown hair unkempt and her blue tech uniform wrinkled. "So, what time is it?"

"Time to haul ass to the _Hunter's Insight_. You're the only one who's not ready to go," Lyla told her slyly.

Blinking, Cassandra bolted to her foot. "Oh my God! I completely forgot... we're leaving today, aren't we?"

"Yeah. Pack up your stuff and get going," Lyla encouraged her. "Here, I'll help. I think some of this stuff is mine anyway..."

Within ten minutes, both young women packed up the last of their stuff and took a cab ride to Nexus' primary spaceport where the rest of the Arctic Wolves were waiting. The _Fortress_-class dropship loomed nearby, its engines still warming up.

"There you are," Nikolai called out impatiently. "I hope you remember my lateness policy, Cassandra."

"Lyla was kind enough to remind me." Cassandra made a face as she and Lyla joined the other Wolves and support crew.

As everyone climbed the boarding ramp into the _Hunter's Insight_, Kyle tapped his sister's shoulder to get her attention. "Hey, um... I heard about you and Carlos. I'm sorry that that turned out the way it did."

"Yeah..." Cassandra said glumly. "But it was for the best. There was no way that he and I could keep seeing each other when he's grounded here with his responsibilities to the government and I'm traveling with the Wolves."

"If you need to talk about it, I'm here," Kyle said gently.

"Thanks, brother, but I think I'll be okay," Cassandra assured him. "I just need to spend some time in the ship's workshop to keep my mind occupied. Don't worry, I'll always be there for repair work. And I'm thinking..."

"Yes?"

Cassandra made a watery smile. "I've learned a little lesson from all this. My next boyfriend will be someone who's a _lot _more willing to travel."

Kyle smiled back. "Already got your eyes on someone?"

"No, I mean in general. And that might not be for a while. I need to find a new way to build that prototype for the _Jouster_," Cassandra told her brother. "Since Carlos didn't win the arena tournament, the 'mech crew didn't help me build it. I guess I lost that bet."

"We can find other people to build it. I'm sure of it," Kyle said positively.

"You know," Alphonse piped up as the Wolves entered the dropship's lowest deck and the bay door sealed shut, "I never quite understood General Abby. What was she trying to accomplish besides conquer Korla? She was a rogue Clanner. Something doesn't add up to me."

"Maybe she just wanted to fill a void in her life and give herself one more shot at being powerful and in control," Nikolai suggested as the boarding ramp retracted and the bay door snapped shut. "Either way, she's gone, and we can all move on. Maybe to Tharkad? It's nice and cold there."

The instant and rather loud voices of dissent were more than enough to kill that idea, so Nikolai shrugged. "Not a big deal. Wherever the road takes us, we'll be ready."

**END.**

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **I would like to thank **RougeBaron**, **Ragnarok666**, **pacificuser**, **Joshua**, **The Colonel 382**, **stonegnome1**, and **Paladinjon11** for the reviews, favorites, and story alerts. Your support is much appreciated!


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